A popular game in the Triangle these days: What could possibly deter Amazon from locating its second headquarters here? According to officials at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, it won’t be a lack of air service.
Kristie VanAuken
“Amazon provided a short list of cities that were important to them,” said RDU’s Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs Kristie VanAuken, who oversees the airport’s air service development efforts. “We have all of the nonstops they cared about.”
The cities on Amazon’s shortlist included Seattle, home to its headquarters, and Boston, San Francisco and New York.
VanAuken points out that RDU has strong daily service to each of these destinations.
“We have multiple carriers that fly multiple flights to Boston and New York, and we have three to four times daily service to San Francisco as well,” she wrote in an email.
The specific list of flight requirements from Amazon to local officials involved in the Amazon HQ2 recruiting race is one of few details to emerge from the closely held negotiations.
Asked about direct communications between Amazon and RDU, VanAuken would not comment.
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However, she did say that the airport did work hand-in-hand with the Research Triangle Regional Partnership and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. The RTRP has been the lead on collaborative efforts of Triangle agencies and governments. The NC Department of Commerce is directly involved in the negotiations with Amazon.
RDU’s flight portfolio
When Amazon released its HQ2 shortlist in January, Raleigh was listed alongside larger metropolitan areas including Boston, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami, as well as areas closer in size to the Triangle. These cities include Austin, Nashville, Pittsburgh and Columbus.
According to VanAuken, while RDU’s list of nonstop service may not stack up against Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, the world’s busiest airport, or Washington D.C., it has a very strong portfolio.
“We have nine carriers going to 57 nonstop markets,” she said. “Even our international portfolio is strong. We also have the lowest airfares in the state of North Carolina. Our service is attractive to a lot of companies.”
Nonstop destinations from RDU can be viewed online.
While the region’s leaders wait for Amazon’s decision on where it will locate its next headquarters, RDU remains focused on recruiting new air service to the region.
Demand for air service to and from the Triangle continues to grow. In 2017, a record 11.6 million people traveled through RDU. To meet this demand, RDU has identified its top 10 list of underserved markets and will present an incentive plan to the board next month to help support the airport’s air service recruitment efforts.
