Delta adds direct flight from RDU to Austin

Delta Air Lines is adding a daily nonstop flight from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Austin.

The RDU-Austin route is scheduled to begin March 9 and will include one flight to Austin and a return flight to RDU every day.

RDU spokesman Andrew Sawyer said more than 250 people travel between RDU and Austin every day using connecting flights, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data. The planned nonstop Delta flight will only have accommodations for a third of that amount of passengers and will operate using a 76-seat Canadair Regional Jet-900 aircraft.

Austin becomes the 46th nonstop destination to and from RDU; it was RDU’s largest market without a direct connection. The next-largest RDU destinations without direct flights are New Orleans, Kansas City, Missouri, San Juan and San Diego, Sawyer said.

Paris was the most recent nonstop route added to RDU. Flights began in May. In June, Delta is planning to introduce a nonstop flight to Seattle.

This story was originally published October 24, 2016 at 3:01 PM with the headline "Delta adds direct flight from RDU to Austin."