MORRISVILLE – The Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) expects more than 182,000 passengers to fly through the airport this weekend.
That estimate includes yesterday’s passenger traffic, as well as today, this weekend, and Monday, July 4.
According to a statement, that number would be 17% higher than the same weekend in 2021, though still below the total passenger traffic during the weekend in 2019, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As travelers take to the skies in numbers we have not seen since 2019, RDU is taking steps to help alleviate wait times at the security checkpoint,” said Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority, in the statement. “We recently added two new lanes to the Terminal 2 checkpoint under one of the first construction projects to resume after the pandemic.”
More than 40,000 travelers were expected to fly through the airport yesterday, and a similar number are expected to travel today, according to the statement.
Expect longer wait times
The increase in passenger traffic could mean that some travelers will face longer wait times. Traveling in the early morning? Expect a busy airport.
That means that security checkpoint wait times may also be longer than normal, and the airport advised travelers to consider the passenger traffic volume when making their travel plans.
But, the airport does have new technology at the TSA checkpoints, installed by the TSA.
Those enhancements, which were implemented with the intent of reducing contact and allowing travelers to retain more items in their carry-on bags during the screening process, are now installed at both terminals, according to the airport.
“The addition of computed tomography screening technology at security checkpoints is a win-win for TSA and passengers,” said Jennifer Gordon, TSA Federal Security Director for RDU in the statement. “We get increased screening capability which will lead to fewer bag checks, and passengers can leave electronics and 3-1-1 compliant liquids in their bags when going through the checkpoint.”
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