RDU Served More Than One Million Passengers in November

Ghost Kitchen Adds Four New Concepts

1,068,853 passengers flew through RDU in November, an increase of 13% over November 2021. RDU expects continued heavy traffic as we move into the winter holidays.

“We expect to close the year strong as travelers make their way home for the holidays or visit family and friends,” said Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. “We have added new airlines, new destinations and new amenities this year that we hope will provide our guests with an outstanding experience during this busy season.”

Breeze Expansion: Breeze Airways will fly to two additional destinations when it launches service at RDU next year. The low-fare airline will add Jacksonville and Columbus to its lineup in May. Breeze will fly to Columbus on Thursdays and Sundays, and to Jacksonville on Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays. Both routes begin May 18. Just a few weeks ago, Breeze announced it will fly from RDU to Hartford, New Orleans and Providence when it debuts at RDU in mid-February.

New Destinations: JetBlue has resumed service from RDU to Cancun. The seasonal route runs through February. JetBlue joins American as the second airline to fly the Cancun route. American is also adding a new destination. The airline will begin daily service to Cincinnati in January.

Ghost Kitchen: RDU’s getREEF virtual food hall – or ghost kitchen – welcomed four new restaurants last week. Cheesecake Factory, Daily Harvest, Milk Bar and Neighborhood Grove were added to the lineup, bringing the total number of concepts to 12. The ghost kitchen opened in July and it allows guests to order from multiple restaurant concepts in one seamless experience.

Wake County Lease: The Airport Authority Board voted Thursday to enter an agreement with Wake County that will begin Jan. 1.

“The lease agreement is a mutually-beneficial solution that will generate revenue from airport property to help pay for RDU’s future growth while providing a recreational area for the community,” said Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. “We are leasing 151 acres to Wake County to manage sanctioned mountain biking trails and put an end to the environmental damage illegal trails are creating on airport property.”

Travel Tips:  As we head into the busy holiday travel season, RDU has some advice for making your trip run smoothly:

  • Book parking online at rdu.com in advance of your trip. Your reservation guarantees you entry into the lot or deck of your choice.
  • Check with your airline on the day you’re traveling make sure your flight is on time.
  • Arrive at the airport two hours early for domestic flights and three hours for international travel.
  • Enjoy your travels!