Airport officials say research shows people are driving as much as three hours to fly out of the airport.
Some companies are making their employees drive farther to take advantage of the cheaper flights offered there.
Out-of-towners are one of the reasons why RDU's passenger traffic has grown 26 percent over this time last year.
"What we're seeing, because the air fares are so competitive, more and more people now have the financial choice of flying as opposed to driving," says RDU spokesman Mike Blanton.
In 1998, 7.2 million travelers came through the RDU International. In 1999, 8.9 million people passed through the airport. That number is estimated to grow to 11 million in 2000.
More parking spaces will be opening up soon. The bottom level of the new garage will open in two to three weeks.
Lot 3 will double in size from 2,000 to 4,000 spaces by Thanksgiving.
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
