MORRISVILLE, N.C. — Independence Air, a low-fare carrier with a hub at Washington Dulles International Airport, announced Wednesday that it will begin service at

Raleigh-Durham International Airport

on June 16.

Independence is the first new carrier to arrive at RDU since the arrival of America West in the spring of 2002. Independence will begin service at the start of the busy summer travel season.

In March, passenger travel at RDU increased by 5 percent compared to the same period last year. Early numbers for April travel show that passengers traveling through RDU have increased nearly 15 percent compared to the same period last year. The number of daily departures also have increased to 225 per day as airlines continue to add flights to meet the demand for air service. Airport officials expect the number of daily departures to rise to 250 per day by the end of the summer.

Independence Air, which formerly was the carrier for United Express at RDU, will operate out of Terminal A.

From Dulles, the airline will offer service to 25 cities.