RDU expects to welcome more than 255,000 travelers from Thursday through Tuesday of Memorial Day weekend – an increase of nearly 20% over last year.Â
“Memorial Day weekend kicks off our busiest travel season of the year as millions of passengers fly through RDU on summer getaways,” said Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. “We are preparing for passenger traffic levels we haven’t seen since 2019 by working with airlines and TSA to anticipate staffing needs, expanding the guest experience team during peak travel hours and encouraging travelers to arrive at the airport early.”
Friday and Monday will be the busiest days of the long weekend, with nearly 49,000 passengers flying through RDU on Friday and more than 44,000 traveling on Monday. May through August are the busiest months of the year at the airport, with even higher traffic than the Thanksgiving through New Year’s holidays. Passenger traffic this summer could exceed the record number of guests RDU served during summer 2019.
Travel Tips: You can be prepared for Memorial Day weekend and the summer travel season by following a few simple steps:
- Download your airline’s mobile app to check in, get information about your flight and manage your reservation.
- Keep an eye on the weather in your departing city and your destination.
- Check your travel documents to confirm that your passport and IDs like your driver license haven’t expired.
- Read your airline’s baggage policy before you pack to make sure your carry-on bag will fit before you bring it on board.
- Remember TSA’s 3-1-1 rule or visit tsa.gov to find out what items you can carry on and what should be packed in your checked luggage.
- Consider signing up for TSA PreCheck and/or CLEAR’s biometrics ID program for a faster and smoother experience at the security checkpoint. You can learn more online at TSA’s PreCheck page and on CLEAR’s website.
- Arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights to allow time for navigating traffic, parking, checking in and getting through security.
