RDU reopens after threat forces evacuation, airport says. What we know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- RDU’s Terminal 1 closed after an anonymous threat prompted early-morning evacuation.
- Passengers re-entered the terminal about 6 a.m. after security checks.
- The airport is keeping law enforcement officials on site.
Raleigh-Durham International Airport has reopened after a threat forced an evacuation early Monday, March 30.
The North Carolina airport said it received the anonymous threat and cleared Terminal 1 just before 4:30 a.m. Passengers were allowed to re-enter at about 6 a.m.
“We continue to monitor the situation and maintain a law enforcement presence at the airport for the safety of all our guests and employees,” the airport wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Local law enforcement responded to the threat, and the Transportation Security Administration’s operations at RDU were back to normal as of about 11:30 a.m. March 30, the agency told The News & Observer via email.
RDU has roughly 360 flights each day. Terminal 1 serves multiple airlines, including Alaska, Avelo, Breeze, Southwest, Spirit and Sun Country, according to the RDU website.
At about 10:15 a.m. March 30, the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority said it didn’t have additional evacuation details to share with The N&O.
TSA workers to be paid
The threat was reported after officers with the TSA spent weeks without pay due to a partial government shutdown. Passengers faced long security lines at airports across the country, but RDU didn’t experience major delays as workers continued to come in for their shifts, The N&O reported on Tuesday, March 24.
On Friday, March 27, President Donald Trump signed an order that would allow TSA workers to get back pay. Many had struggled to make ends meet during the partial shutdown, The Associated Press reported.
This story has been updated.
This story was originally published March 30, 2026 at 9:38 AM with the headline "RDU reopens after threat forces evacuation, airport says. What we know."
