The North Carolina Airport Where 2 Different Airlines Tried & Failed To Build A Hub

Two airlines attempted to establish a connecting hub at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) but neither effort endured. American Airlines opened a north-south hub at RDU in 1987, for which it built a dedicated terminal. The operation grew to 211 daily departures across 64 destinations before being shut down in 1995 after years of losses.

In the same year, 1995, Midway Airlines moved into the same terminal, relocated its headquarters to North Carolina, and employed about 2,250 people. The carrier ultimately collapsed after the events of September 11, ceasing all operations in 2003.

The shared factor behind both attempts failing was proximity to larger hubs. The article notes that Charlotte and Atlanta were too close to Raleigh-Durham, undermining the viability of a competing hub at RDU.

As a result, Raleigh-Durham did not sustain a long-term connecting-hub operation from either airline, with both efforts ending within the same general period and for similar strategic reasons related to nearby hubs.