MORRISVILLE – High-tech job expansions in the Triangle are likely to be a boost for RDU International Airport as the airport continues to show signs of economic revival after the devastation of the COVIDA-19 pandemic, according to RDU’s chief executive officer.

“Major companies such as Apple, Google, Red Hat and Fidelity Investments have recently announced that they are entering or growing in the Triangle, bringing new jobs and investments to our community. These economic development announcements support my belief that RDU is well positioned for recovery,” Michael Landguth, CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority, says in a blog post. “Our region’s economic climate is a major factor in an airline’s willingness to invest at RDU.”

RDU’s traffic is surging, it is adding more flights and there’s another new airline (Sun County) servicing the airport. One of the new flights – from United – will link RDU directly to San Fancisco and Silicon Valley.

“The airport is beginning to look more familiar with travelers slowly starting to fill RDU’s parking deck and terminals,” Landguth points out. “TSA screened just under 300,000 passengers during the month of April and forecasts indicate more people are expected to take flight in the coming months.”

RDU graphic

A year ago the pandemic virtually shut down air travel, leading to job cuts, service reductions and even the closing of parking lots at RDU.

Landuth reminds readers that “40,000 passengers flew through RDU during the month of April 2020, a mere three percent of passengers compared to April 2019.”

However, with vaccines widely availably and COVID-19 infection rates way down, the air travel economy is rebounding as are most other parts of commerce.

And RDU is hoping to cash in on West Coast tech destinations where Google and Apple are based.

“JetBlue Airlines launched service to San Francisco May 7 and United Airlines announced it will restart its nonstop flight to the Bay Area in July,” Landguth says.

There’s more good news, he adds.

“We also added our newest airline, Sun Country, to RDU’s diverse airline mix. RDU currently offers nonstop service to 38 destinations with two international markets – Cancun, Mexico and Montego Bay, Jamaica,” Landuth says. “To date, we have recovered nearly half the flights lost because of the pandemic.”

He also expects RDU to return to growth mode “eventually.”

“Although the aviation industry continues to suffer the effects of the pandemic, I believe RDU is in a good position to recover and eventually restart the growth trajectory we experienced in 2019,” he writes. “Positive passenger trends and regional jobs announcements are good indicators that we are headed in the right direction.”