Delta Air Lines is set to launch a new nonstop flight from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in North Carolina to Kansas City International Airport (MCI) in Missouri this spring. The service, beginning on May 7, will operate daily with a Delta Connection regional jet and will not pass through any of Delta’s major hub cities such as Atlanta, Detroit, or Salt Lake City.
The new route marks an expansion of Delta’s point-to-point network from RDU. Operated by Endeavor Air, a wholly-owned regional subsidiary of Delta, the service will feature a morning westbound flight departing RDU at 7:55 a.m. Eastern time and arriving at MCI at 9:41 a.m. Central time. The return flight will leave MCI at 6:55 p.m. Central time and arrive back at RDU at 10:19 p.m. Eastern time.
This development is part of Delta’s strategy to grow its presence in central North Carolina. Although Raleigh-Durham was once considered a “focus city” for Delta, the airline no longer uses that term officially.
Delta’s current operations at RDU include flights to various destinations beyond its hubs, competing with United Airlines on routes to Newark Liberty International Airport and with American Airlines on flights to Miami International Airport. Other non-hub destinations served by Delta from RDU include Nashville International Airport, Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Tampa International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington D.C., and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Endeavor Air plans to establish a crew and maintenance base at RDU during the second quarter of 2025 due to its extensive network of Delta Connection flights to nonhub cities. “Endeavor’s current network includes considerable RDU-to-outstation activity,” said Brian Darsow, Endeavor Air’s chief operating officer.
In terms of competition at RDU, American Airlines remains the top carrier by seat count partly due to its nonstop flight to London’s Heathrow Airport using larger aircraft than those operated by Delta out of the airport.
Raleigh-Durham International saw record-breaking passenger numbers last year with 15.5 million travelers while Kansas City International had over 12 million passengers in its busiest year ever in 2024.
“We appreciate Delta’s long-standing commitment to RDU and the addition of Kansas City to our route map,” an RDU spokesperson stated Monday, highlighting increased connectivity through partnerships like those with SkyTeam members Air France and Aeromexico which have recently launched international services from the airport.
For travelers flying out of RDU on one of these new nonstop flights with Delta, there is access available to the Sky Club lounge located within the airport—subject to membership or eligibility criteria including limits for American Express cardholders who may visit annually under specific terms.
