Raleigh/Durham to Madrid (RDU–MAD) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

RDU Airport Page →
3,971 mi airlines charter/private 1/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Connecting Flight Schedule 24 1-stop flights Verified 2w ago
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop

No flights match your filters.

No scheduled airline flights on this route — it's flown by charter / private operators (). No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

✦ 1-Stop connections via 10 hubs
PHL Philadelphia 9h 48m AAASBA AAAYBA Philadelphia (PHL) to Madrid flights
IAD Dulles 9h 52m ACAVAZ ACAYEI Dulles (IAD) to Madrid flights
JFK New York 9h 53m AAAFAM AAAYBA New York (JFK) to Madrid flights
CLT Charlotte 10h 11m AABAIB AAAYBA Charlotte (CLT) to Madrid flights
BOS Boston 10h 16m AFB6DL AYB6BA Boston (BOS) to Madrid flights
YYZ Toronto 10h 26m ACTPUA ACAYEI Toronto (YYZ) to Madrid flights
DUB Dublin 10h 50m EI ATEIFR Dublin (DUB) to Madrid flights
ATL Atlanta 11h 1m AFAMDL AMDL Atlanta (ATL) to Madrid flights
EWR Newark 11h 14m AFDLLY AAACIB Newark (EWR) to Madrid flights
CDG Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) 11h 15m AFKL AFARG3 Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) (CDG) to Madrid flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Raleigh/Durham to Madrid
Connecting service available through multiple hubs.
1 Airlines 3,971 mi 8h 42m nonstop +6h ahead

RDU–MAD had nonstop service from American Airlines, last on the schedule in July 2026. There's no nonstop on it right now, so today you'd fly it with one stop. The connecting options below are sorted by layover. Nonstop, it's about 3,971 miles in 8h 42m.

Airline Landscape

Carriers that operated nonstop RDU–MAD service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
AA American Airlines 1 60% Oneworld
Alliance coverage
Oneworld: AA (1 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Connection Landscape

1-stop and 2-stop options for RDU to MAD.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
24
Hubs
~9h
Fastest
~28h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
2,401
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.

On-Time Performance

What to expect at each end of your journey.
Outbound
RDU → MAD
60%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Departing
60%
Return
MAD → RDU
73%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Arriving
73%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. RDU delays →

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
+6h
Madrid is 6 hours ahead of Raleigh/Durham.
RDU: EDT · MAD: CEST

When it's 6:00 PM in Raleigh/Durham, it's 12:00 AM (next day) in Madrid.
Distance & Flight Time
3,971 mi / 6,390 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 8h 42m gate to gate.
Visa & Entry

US passport holders enter Spain visa-free for stays up to 90 days within any 180-day period. This falls under the Schengen area rules, so the 90-day limit is shared across all Schengen countries. No advance application is needed. Passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned departure from the Schengen area.

Getting to RDU

No rail connection exists. GoTriangle Route 100 (RDU Express) runs from the Durham Station Transportation Center and downtown Raleigh to the airport for $2.25; takes 35–50 minutes but service is limited in the evenings and does not run all night.Ride-shares (Uber/Lyft) from downtown Raleigh: $20–30, 20–25 minutes. From Durham: $18–25, 15–20 minutes. Taxis: $30–40. Long-term parking from $7/day in Economy lots with shuttle service. I-40 provides direct access to both Raleigh and Durham.

Getting from MAD

Metro Line 8 from T1/T2/T3 to Nuevos Ministerios takes 12–15 minutes (€6 with airport supplement). T4 travelers take the free inter-terminal shuttle to T2 first. Cercanías C-1 from T4 to Atocha (€2.60, 25 min) is cheaper. Taxis to the city centre have a €30 fixed tariff.

Rental car agencies are at T4. Express Aeropuerto buses run 24 hours to Avenida de América (€5, 25–40 min). Ride-hail apps (Cabify, Uber) typically cost €25–40 depending on destination.

Madrid Climate

Hot semi-arid climate at 600m altitude. Summers are hot and dry (30–38°C) with almost no rain and very low humidity. Heat rarely disrupts flights but ground crews work in extreme heat. Winters are cold for a southern European capital (1–9°C) with occasional snow. MAD handles light snow well but heavy falls can close runways.

Spring and autumn are pleasant (12–20°C) and offer the most stable weather. Dust storms from the Sahara occasionally reduce visibility in spring. No fog risk comparable to northern European airports.

RDU–MAD Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Raleigh/Durham to Madrid route.
Route details
Distance3,971 mi / 6,390 km
Flight time8h 42m
Time difference+6 hours
Airlines (nonstop)1
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: RDU
IATA / ICAORDU / KRDU
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Passengers/yr15.2M
Elevation435 ft / 133 m
Destination: MAD
IATA / ICAOMAD / LEMD
TimezoneEurope/Madrid
Passengers/yr66.1M
Elevation1,998 ft / 609 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about RDU to MAD flights.
Nonstop flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport take about 8h 42m gate to gate. The route covers 3,971 miles.
1 airline operated the nonstop from RDU to MAD: American Airlines. The last scheduled nonstop was in July 2026. There's no nonstop right now, so today you'd fly it with one stop. See the connection options above, ranked by layover.
Not right now. The last scheduled nonstop was in July 2026. You can still fly it with one stop, and the connecting options above are sorted by layover. Nonstop, the hop took about 8h 42m.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Philadelphia, Washington Dulles and John F. Kennedy.
Madrid is 6 hours ahead of Raleigh/Durham.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
See the On-Time Performance section for the latest delay data at both airports. This shows departure and arrival reliability to help you plan.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Flights from RDU to MAD

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) had nonstop service from American Airlines, last on the schedule in July 2026. The nonstop is dormant right now, so the way to fly it today is one connection, and the options above are sorted by layover.

RDU to MAD Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from RDU to MAD is about 8 hours 42 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 3,971 miles (6,390 km).

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Philadelphia, Washington Dulles and John F. Kennedy. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs.