Raleigh-Durham International Airport: What Does 'Rdu' Stand For?

Raleigh-Durham International Airport, locally known by its IATA code RDU, is an international airport that serves Raleigh, Durham, and the surrounding Research Triangle region of North Carolina as its main airport. The IATA code RDU has sparked curiosity among many, with people wondering what the U in RDU stands for.

Raleigh-Durham International Airport

The simple answer to what the "U" in RDU stands for is that it is the second letter in "Durham". However, there are other theories, including that it stands for “United”, reflecting an increased partnership between Raleigh and Durham. Another theory suggests it has something to do with Umstead State Park, which is adjacent to the airport.

In the 1960s, the Federal Aviation Administration began assigning three-letter codes to commercial airports in the United States. For Raleigh-Durham International Airport, they picked RDU. The three-letter airport codes are created by using combinations of letters representing the airfield, city, or region's name.

As of 2024, Raleigh-Durham International Airport ranks 35th in passenger arrivals and departures in the US, offering passenger service to over 70 destinations, including 14 international destinations in eleven countries. The airport is an operating base for Avelo Airlines and a focus city for Delta Air Lines.

RDU's IATA code

Raleigh–Durham International Airport's IATA code is RDU. The airport's ICAO code is KRDU, and its FAA LID is also RDU. RDU is locally known by its IATA code.

RDU is an international airport that serves Raleigh, Durham, and the surrounding Research Triangle region of North Carolina as its main airport. It is located in unincorporated Wake County and covers 5,000 acres (20 km2). The airport has two terminals and three runways.

The simple answer to what the "U" in RDU stands for is that it is the second letter in "Durham". However, this has not stopped people from speculating about other possible meanings. Some have suggested that the "U" could stand for "United", reflecting an increased partnership between Raleigh and Durham. Others have linked it to Umstead State Park, which is adjacent to the airport.

In the 1960s, the Federal Aviation Administration began assigning three-letter codes to commercial airports in the United States. The reason behind RDU's designation remains unknown.

RDU's history

Raleigh-Durham International Airport, locally known by its IATA code RDU, is an international airport that serves Raleigh, Durham, and the surrounding Research Triangle region of North Carolina as its main airport. The airport covers 5,000 acres and has three runways.

The region's first airport opened in 1929 as Raleigh Municipal Airport, south of Raleigh. It was quickly outgrown, and in 1939 the North Carolina General Assembly chartered the Raleigh–Durham Aeronautical Authority to build and operate a larger airport between Raleigh and Durham. The new Raleigh–Durham Airport opened on May 1, 1943, with flights by Eastern Airlines. The passenger terminal was built from materials remaining after the construction of four barracks for the Army Air Forces Air Technical Service Command airfield.

After World War II, Capital Airlines joined Eastern at RDU, followed by Piedmont Airlines in 1948. By the April 1957 Official Airline Guide, 36 departures a day were being offered: 20 Eastern, eight Capital, and eight Piedmont. Nonstop flights did not reach beyond Washington, Atlanta, or the Appalachians (but Eastern started a Super Constellation nonstop to Newark in 1958). The next airline (aside from United's takeover of Capital in 1961) was Delta Air Lines in 1970.

In the 1970s, Piedmont connected RDU to Charlotte, Greensboro, New Bern, Norfolk, Richmond, Rocky Mount, Washington, Wilmington, and Winston-Salem. United flew to Asheville, Charlotte, Huntsville, and Newark, while Eastern flew to Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Richmond, and Washington. Delta flew to Chicago and Greensboro.

In 1943, the first commercial flight landed at what was then Raleigh-Durham Army Airfield– a DC-3 aircraft operated by Eastern Airlines and destined for Florida. The flight originated in New York, and RDU was one of five stopovers en route to Miami. Today, Raleigh-Durham International Airport sees over 30,000 travellers daily and is home to nine commercial airlines, servicing 57 nonstop destinations, including Paris and London.

RDU's location

Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU) is located in unincorporated Wake County, North Carolina. The airport is about 10 miles from both downtown Durham and downtown Raleigh and is surrounded by the city of Raleigh to its north and east, and the towns of Cary and Morrisville to its south. The airport is situated just southeast of I-540 and northwest of I-40.

RDU is the second-largest airport in North Carolina, covering 5,000 acres (20 km2) and featuring three runways. The airport consists of two terminals (1 and 2) and three concourses (A, C, and D) with 53 gates. Terminal 1 houses Concourse A, while Terminal 2 is home to Concourses C and D. Terminal 1's physical address is 1600 John Brantley Blvd, Morrisville, NC 27560, and Terminal 2's address is 2400 John Brantley Blvd, Morrisville, NC 27560.

RDU is the main airport serving Raleigh, Durham, and the surrounding Research Triangle region of North Carolina. It is an important transportation hub, ranking 35th in passenger arrivals and departures in the US as of 2024. The airport offers service to over 70 destinations, including 14 international destinations in eleven countries, with an average of more than 400 daily flights.

RDU's stakeholders

Raleigh-Durham International Airport, locally known by its IATA code RDU, is an international airport that serves Raleigh, Durham, and the surrounding Research Triangle region of North Carolina as its main airport. The RDU in Raleigh-Durham International Airport represents four core stakeholders: the communities of Raleigh and Wake County, and Durham City and County.

The R and the D in RDU are derived from Raleigh and Durham, respectively. The U is simply the second letter in "Durham." However, there are other theories about the U, including that it stands for "United," reflecting an increased partnership between the cities of Raleigh and Durham. Another theory suggests that the U has something to do with Umstead State Park, which is adjacent to the airport.

The airport covers 5,000 acres and has three runways. It is located in unincorporated Wake County and is surrounded by the city of Raleigh to the north and east and the towns of Cary and Morrisville to the south. The airport is centrally located between Raleigh and Durham, with the midpoint between the two cities established after a series of low-altitude flights between Raleigh's Sir Walter Hotel and Durham's Washington Duke Hotel.

The region's first airport opened in 1929 as Raleigh Municipal Airport, south of Raleigh. However, this airport was quickly outgrown, and the Raleigh–Durham Aeronautical Authority was chartered in 1939 to build and operate a larger airport between Raleigh and Durham. The new Raleigh–Durham Airport opened on May 1, 1943, with flights by Eastern Airlines. Today, Raleigh-Durham International Airport is the second-largest airport in North Carolina, serving over 70 destinations, including 14 international destinations in eleven countries. The airport has two terminals with a total of 45 gates and is an operating base for Avelo Airlines and a focus city for Delta Air Lines.

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