The merger with US Airways announced today will make American Airlines the top carrier at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. According to current schedules and last year’s passenger counts, American and US Air have 32 percent of the RDU market, with 62 daily nonstop flights to 10 airports.
Delta will be RDU’s number-two carrier with a 27 percent share, followed by Southwest/AirTran at 24 percent, RDU says.
If airline executives focus their changes on eliminating duplicate American and US Air service, RDU travelers won’t notice much difference. The two carriers’ commuter partners, American Eagle and US Air Express, both offer flights from RDU to Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
Otherwise, there’s no overlap in service at RDU.
American now has 12 daily flights to four RDU destinations: Dallas/Fort Worth, London Heathrow, Miami and Chicago O-Hare (and, starting in April, Los Angeles). American Eagle has 23 flights to four airports: Reagan National, JFK and LaGuardia in New York, and O’Hare. Last year, 785,000 passengers boarded American and American Eagle flights out of RDU.
US Air has 13 flights to Charlotte and Philadelphia. US Air Express has 14 flights to Charlotte, Reagan National, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Last year the two US Air carriers boarded 724,000 outbound passengers.
Bruce Siceloff reports on traffic and transportation. A News & Observer reporter, editor and blogger since 1976, he took over the