Travel

RDU airport predicts another post-pandemic record travel weekend

An expected 224,000 people will pass through the airport between July 2 and 8. The busiest travel days are projected to be Friday, July 2, and Monday, July 5.

Posted Updated

By
Michelle Mackonochie
, WRAL anchor/reporter
MORRISVILLE, N.C. — Travel is ramping up ahead of the holiday weekend, and airport officials at Raleigh-Durham International Airport are looking ahead.

“Similar to Memorial Day weekend, the Independence Day holiday weekend is expected to see a surge in passenger traffic that could make it the busiest week we’ve seen since COVID-19 emerged in 2020,” said Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority.

An expected 224,000 people will pass through the airport between July 2 and 8. The busiest travel days are projected to be Friday, July 2, and Monday, July 5.

This comes as the industry rebounds with a surge of travelers. RDU has set post-pandemic records for travel each month in March, April and May.

The airport also announced the opening of an outpost for Cary-based bakery La Farm, which will serve breads and pastries made on site and include a full bar. The La Farm location, the fourth for the bakery, is in Terminal 2.

AAA of the Carolinas expects 1.4 million people in North Carolina to travel for the Fourth of July weekend. AAA says these numbers could add up to be the second highest travel weekend on record.

After the pandemic forced families to cancel travel plans last year, families are eager to vacation again.

Prior to the pandemic, leisure travel accounted for about 50 percent of RDU’s customer base, compared to around 80 percent today.

The cost of airfare has gone down about 2% since last year.

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