Spring Break Travel Gives RDU a 23% Boost in Traffic 

Ten New Dining Options Coming to RDU:

More than 1.1. million people flew through RDU in March as travelers took to the skies for spring break getaways, an increase of 23% over March 2022. 

“Spring break travel will continue to boost passenger traffic through April,” said Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. “We are preparing for an even busier summer season as travelers enjoy new options, including routes to the 20 new destinations we have added this year.” 

New Destinations: New airlines continue to gain momentum at RDU. Avelo Airlines will begin nonstop service to Melbourne on Florida’s Space Coast and Wilmington, Delaware in the Philadelphia region in June. That brings the total number of Avelo routes at RDU to 12. Breeze Airways will launch a new nonstop route from RDU to Islip on Long Island, New York in late June. Breeze began service at RDU in February and now flies nonstop to nine cities. 

Expanded Routes: Frontier Airlines is also expanding its flight schedule and adding destinations at RDU just in time for the busy summer travel season. The airline will add Houston and Chicago-Midway to its lineup in June and increase the number of flights to cities it already serves. Delta will restart service to Nashville in early June. Delta’s Nashville route had been seasonal and will now operate year-round. Sun Country is also expanding by increasing its nonstop service to Minneapolis-St. Paul from twice-weekly to four times a week. RDU will also have expanded service to San Juan, Puerto Rico on July 5, when JetBlue begins offering year-round flights. Overall, RDU airlines have added 38 new nonstop flights, including service to 20 new destinations in 2023.    

New Dining Options: RDU will bring a total of 10 new dining concepts to Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 as the airport refreshes and reimagines its concessions program. The new food and beverage options will be Adios!, by local chef Oscar Diaz; Cary’s Bond Brothers Taproom & Kitchen; Raleigh delicatessen Bongiorno and Son; Butcher’s Burger & Bar; Conniption Cocktail Bar, developed in partnership with Durham Distillery; Dunkin’, Half Moon Empanadas; Guy’s Pizza Joint by Guy Fieri; Raleigh’s Lonerider Brewery and Raleigh Beer Garden. Additional dining options are already under construction to replace recently closed units. Durham’s Beyú Caffé will open pre-security in both terminals later this year and three new units are under construction in the Terminal 2 Marketplace and on the C Concourse. They include Black & White Coffee Roasters, founded by champion baristas with three locations in Wake County, and concepts from local chef Scott Crawford. Interim hot and cold and grab-and-go food and beverage options will also be added in both terminals. 

Sustainability Management Plan: The Airport Authority is beginning to implement its first Sustainability Management Plan (SMP), which was approved earlier this month. The SMP was developed with input from internal and external stakeholders, sustainability experts and the broader community. It provides guidance for integrating sustainability into RDU’s planning, design, construction, operations, maintenance and business practices. The plan builds on sustainable practices the airport already has in place and furthers its commitment to incorporating sustainability into all aspects of airport operations. 

Envision Rating: The Airport Authority has committed to pursuing an Envision Rating for the Runway 5L/23R & Taxiway B Replacement Project, as well as the expansion of Park Economy 3. Envision creates a framework to help entities plan, design and build infrastructure based on sustainable principles. The Authority is in the process of evaluating which Envision Rating is achievable. The Envision goal is part of the Authority’s larger commitment to incorporating sustainable practices into its operations and business practices as part of the RDU’s Board-approved Sustainability Policy. 

New Board Officers: The Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Board elected a new slate of officers Thursday. Ellis Hankins (Wake County) is the board chair, Tammie Hall (City of Durham) is vice chair, Nina Szlosberg-Landis (City of Raleigh) is secretary and Yesenia Polanco-Galdamez (Durham County) is treasurer.