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Just like the end of a school year, the report cards are flooding in from airlines and airports worldwide.
On Monday, it was the turn of Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to look back on 2024, which has been a highly successful year for the airport, including being named the fastest-growing Top 50 airport in the United States in 2024.
A highly successful 2024 at Raleigh-Durham
Earlier this month, Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority, said the airport was on track for a "potentially record-setting year.
" With 2024 about to end, we will soon see if his prediction is correct, but beyond that, he added some insights into what was on the cards for 2025.
"RDU will welcome even more new airlines, flights and nonstop destinations next year, giving passengers more travel options than ever before.
We are proud to serve the Research Triangle region and look forward to connecting residents and visitors to the people and places they most want to visit in 2025."
On Monday, the airport released an excellent review of the key performance indicators for 2024, which clearly showed an airport on top of its game.
Not only has Raleigh-Durham International (Raleigh-Durham) grown the fastest of the Top 50 airports in the USA, but it has also worked tirelessly to add new airlines and international routes and invested significantly in upgrading airfield and airport infrastructure and sustainability.
What the numbers and airlines tell us
The North Carolina airport grew by 22% over the previous year and is projected to carry more than 15 million passengers in 2024, its busiest year ever.
Raleigh-Durham added five new airlines, eight new international routes and now has 19 airlines operating to more than 70 nonstop destinations.
The most frequently flown route from RDU is to New York City, and its farthest nonstop destination is Frankfurt, Germany.
German airline Lufthansa operates that service using an Airbus A330-300 that takes around eight hours to cover the 4,278-mile route.
Frankfurt is RDU's third European destination, joining American Airlines Boeing 777 flights to London Heathrow (LHR) and Air France Airbus A350 services to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG). Other airlines to add new international routes at RDU included:
- Aeromexico: Aeromexico opened nonstop access to Mexico City, connecting the Raleigh-Durham market with one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. The new route provides easy access to Central and South America, with flights operated by Aeromexico as part of its partnership with Delta Air Lines.
- Air Canada: In the summer of 2025, Air Canada is launching nonstop flights between RDU and Vancouver International (YVR). The seasonal route will connect travelers with one of RDU's top unserved international destinations and offer convenient connections to Western Canada and Asia.
- Avelo: Avelo is launching international flights from RDU for the first time in 2025. The fast-growing airline will commence international services with flights to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and Montego Bay, Jamacia, in February.
- BermudaAir: In 2025, travelers using RDU will soon have the opportunity to fly with BermudaAir to Bermuda, or as RDU puts it, "to connect the Bermuda Triangle to the Research Triangle."
- Copa Airlines: In June, Copa Airlines launched the first nonstop flight between Panama City and RDU. The new route provides the region's first gateway to Latin America and opens new leisure and business travel opportunities from the Research Triangle area.
- WestJet: Next summer, Canadian airline WestJet will begin nonstop flights from Raleigh-Durham to Calgary. The seasonal route will allow travelers to visit Canada's Rocky Mountains and connect to Westjet's network of destinations in Canada, Europe and Asia.
RDU is investing in infrastructure and technology to stay Number 1
The key infrastructure project is constructing a replacement for Runway 5L-23R, which is underway. The existing 5L-23R is due for replacement after four decades of use, and when it is complete, it will serve as the region's gateway to the West Coast and Transatlantic destinations.
In the interim, a multi-year effort to preserve Runway 5L-23R continued in 2024 so that aircraft departing for long-haul destinations could continue operating from it.
Crews worked overnight to demolish concrete slabs, pour new ones and let them cure before reopening the runway to air traffic in the morning.
RDU has purchased six additional zero-emission electric buses to shuttle passengers from economy lots to the terminals.
In 2019, RDU became the first public entity in the Research Triangle region to deploy electric buses, and in 2024, the airport released its first Sustainability Program Annual Report.
