Surge of travelers expected at RDU amid warnings from CDC

Officials at Raleigh-Durham International anticipate 120,000 people will travel through the airport for Labor Day weekend, with Friday being the busiest travel day at 34,000.

An RDU spokesperson said that the majority of travelers are vaccinated, according to a recent survey. The Delta variant of coronavirus has impacted ticket sales this Labor Day, officials said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said unvaccinated people should not travel and has also warned against traveling in general as the Delta variant rapidly spreads.

Most people who WRAL News spoke with on Tuesday said that they felt comfortable traveling if they were vaccinated.

Leaders said the most noticeable drop during the pandemic is in those traveling for business.

Even with masks and vaccines, remote meetings are a safer option as the Delta variant spreads.

Business travel used to account for 50% of RDU travelers, officials said, and now it is about 30%.

According to RDU, nearly one million people flew through the airport in July, setting a pandemic record.

July could end up being the busiest month of the year, officials said.