Raleigh–Durham International Airport

Raleigh–Durham International Airport (IATA: RDU, ICAO: KRDU, FAA LID: RDU), locally known by its IATA code RDU, is an international airport that serves Raleigh, Durham, and the surrounding Research Triangle region of North Carolina as its main airport. It is located in unincorporated Wake County, but is surrounded by the city of Raleigh to the north and east, and the towns of Cary and Morrisville to the south. The airport covers 5,000 acres (20 km²) and has three runways.^[2]^[3]

"Durham Airport" redirects here. For the British airport, see Teesside International Airport.

Raleigh–Durham International Airport

Public

Raleigh–Durham Airport Authority

The Research Triangle Metropolitan Region of North Carolina

Cedar Fork Township, Wake County, North Carolina, U.S.

May 1, 1943 (1943-05-01)

Delta Air Lines

Avelo Airlines

436 ft / 133 m

35°52′40″N 078°47′15″W / 35.87778°N 78.78750°W / 35.87778; -78.78750

rdu.com

14,523,996

216,081

202,642,566

As of 2024, RDU offers nonstop passenger service to 59 domestic destinations and 10 international destinations with more than 500 average daily aircraft movements.^[4] The RDU Airport Authority is in charge of the airport facilities and operations and is controlled by a board of representatives from the counties of Wake and Durham and the cities of Raleigh and Durham.^[5]

Raleigh–Durham International Airport is the second-largest airport in the state of North Carolina, behind Charlotte Douglas International Airport. It is an operating base for Avelo Airlines and a focus city for Delta Air Lines.

In 2023, RDU served a record 14.5 million passengers which broke the airport's record of 14.2 million passengers set in 2019. Joining the existing international network, RDU announced nonstop service to Frankfurt, Mexico City, and Panama City to begin in 2024.

Terminal 1 contains 9 gates, A1–A9. The Vision2040 plan proposes the addition of 4, 7, 12 or 15 gates. The terminal is used by Alaska Airlines, Avelo, Breeze Airways, Southwest, Spirit, and Sun Country. In 2024, RDU moved 3 airlines in Terminal 2 to maximize check-in, gate space, and overall terminal space for airlines at Terminal 2. All International flights depart terminal 2.

Terminal 2 Contains 36 gates, with concourses C and D. This is the only terminal at RDU that hosts international arrivals, utilizing gates C22–C25. Aeroméxico Connect, Air Canada, Air France, American Airlines, Bahamasair, Copa Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Icelandair, JetBlue, Lufthansa and United fly from Terminal 2.

[30]

On January 2, 1953, a Douglas C-47 crashed near RDU attempting to land with rain and low visibility after diverting from Pope AFB in Fayetteville. The aircraft crashed nearly two miles south of the airport in Crabtree Park. Three out of the four occupants died.^[58]

USAF

On Wednesday, November 12, 1975, Eastern Air Lines Flight 576, a Boeing 727-225, crashed while attempting to land on runway 23 (now runway 23 Left). The aircraft hit the ground 282 feet (86 m) short of the runway and bounced back into the air before coming down on the runway and sliding 4,150 feet (1,260 m) down the runway, stopping where the south end of Terminal 1 is today. Of the 139 persons on the flight, eight were injured, one seriously. The NTSB investigation initially blamed the crash on "the pilot's failure to execute a missed approach when he lost sight of the runway environment in heavy rain below decision height." The accident report and probable cause were later revised to include the influence of undetected wind shear. The aircraft (Boeing 727-225, N8838E) sustained major damage and was moved to an area on the north end of closed runway 18. A temporary structure was built around the aircraft which was eventually repaired and returned to service.

[59]

On December 31, 1986, a passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 1502 was wounded after a local hunter fired his rifle from the ground into the airframe of the landing aircraft. Robert Raymond Proulx, fired a bullet through the fuselage wounding a passenger (Barry Rollins) in the thigh and the cheek as the projectile ricocheted inside the cabin.^[61]^[62]

[60]

On February 19, 1988, , a Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner was on a regularly scheduled flight between Raleigh and Richmond operating for American Eagle when it crashed into a reservoir about a mile from the airport in the vicinity of Cary. The aircraft had departed during low ceiling, low visibility and night conditions. Analysis of radar data indicated the aircraft was in a 45-degree descending turn. Both crew members and all 10 passengers were killed. It was revealed during the investigation that the pilot had complained of illness but decided to continue the flight.

AVAir Flight 3378

On December 13, 1994, operated by AMR's regional airline Flagship Airlines,^[63] a Jetstream 31 was on a regularly scheduled service of Raleigh–Greensboro–Raleigh when it crashed into a wooded area about 4 miles (6.4 km) SW of the airport, in the vicinity of Morrisville. Of the 20 onboard (18 passengers and two crewmembers) 15 were killed while the five survivors received serious injuries. The probable cause of the crash was the pilot not following proper procedure when it came to an engine failure situation.^[64]

American Eagle Flight 3379

On July 31, 2000, a Win Win Aviation crashed on approach nearly two miles SSW of RDU on a positioning flight due to fog and darkness. The pilot was not instrument rated to fly in bad weather. One crewmember out of the three occupants died.^[65]

de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter

On October 20, 2019, a crashed in a wooded area of Umstead State Park on approach to runway 32. Both occupants of the plane died.^[66]

Piper PA-32

On July 29, 2022, a from Raeford West Airport made an emergency landing and subsequently slid off runway 23L due to its lack of right landing gear. On approach, the 23-year old co-pilot, Charles Hew Crooks, exited the plane over Fuquay-Varina and subsequently died. The pilot was transported to the hospital with minor injuries as the result of a rough landing.^[67]^[68]

CASA C-212 Aviocar

On April 25, 2024, a from Wilmington operated by UNC Air Operations crashed during landing on runway 32. The pilot and one passenger were both injured.^[69]

Raleigh–Durham International Airport