Raleigh/Durham to New Orleans (RDU–MSY) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

RDU Airport Page →
779 mi airlines 8/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 4 flights Verified 28m ago
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  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
WN3803
WN Southwest
B38M
12:50 PM
EDT T1
2:05 PM
CDT
2h 15m
M T W T F S S
Prices
MX331
MX Mexicana
223
3:55 PM
EDT T1
5:23 PM
CDT
2h 28m
M T W T F S S
Prices
MX330
MX Mexicana
BCS3
8:05 AM
CDT
11:09 AM
EDT
2h 4m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN3429
WN Southwest
7M8
2:30 PM
CDT
5:40 PM
EDT
2h 10m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Raleigh/Durham to New Orleans
3 carriers, 8 flights/week nonstop.
3 Airlines 8 Flights/wk 779 mi 2h 15m nonstop -1h behind 107 1-stop hubs

RDU–MSY is served by 3 airlines with nonstop service. Mexicana, Southwest Airlines and Frontier lead the route. The flight covers 779 miles in approximately 2h 15m. Beyond nonstop, 107 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop RDU–MSY service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
MX Mexicana 7 223 2h28 100%
WN Southwest Airlines 1 B38M 2h15 100%
F9 Frontier 0 100%
Aircraft on this route
223 Airbus A220-300 – MX
B38M Boeing 737 MAX 8 – WN
Alliance coverage
Unaffiliated: F9 + MX + WN (8 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, RDU to MSY direction.
Mon
1
flight
Tue
1
flight
Wed
1
flight
Thu
1
flight
Fri
1
flight
Sat
1
flight
Sun
2
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
2
Nonstop flights
8
Outbound / wk
8
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for RDU to MSY.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
107
Hubs
~2h
Fastest
~25h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
2,416
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.

Other ways to reach New Orleans from Raleigh/Durham

Nearby airports with service to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
Metric RDU→MSY GSO→MSY ILM→MSY
Distance from RDU 66 mi 122 mi
Nonstop airlines 3 3 1
Weekly flights 8 1
Flight time 2h 15m 0h 46m 1h 59m
Departure OTP 100%
Airports within 200 miles of RDU with service to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-1h
New Orleans is 1 hour behind Raleigh/Durham.
RDU: EDT · MSY: CDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Raleigh/Durham, it's 5:00 PM in New Orleans.
Distance & Flight Time
779 mi / 1,254 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 2h 15m to 2h 28m.
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.

RDU–MSY Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Raleigh/Durham to New Orleans route.
Route details
Distance779 mi / 1,254 km
Flight time2h 15m to 2h 28m
Time difference-1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)3
Weekly flights8 out / 8 return
1-stop connections107 hubs
Origin: RDU
IATA / ICAORDU / KRDU
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Passengers/yr15.2M
Elevation435 ft / 133 m
Destination: MSY
IATA / ICAOMSY / KMSY
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr13.1M
Elevation4 ft / 1 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about RDU to MSY flights.
Nonstop flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport take approximately 2h 15m to 2h 28m. The route covers 779 miles.
3 airlines operate nonstop service: Frontier, Mexicana and Southwest Airlines.
There are approximately 8 nonstop flights per week from RDU to MSY. The return direction has about 8 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through AGS, ECP, AVL, CEU, NAS, DSI, BHM, PDK, APF, LIT, DAY, BCT, TYS, PNS, FTY, ILM, MKE, MYR, TMB, CHS, MKC, ORL, SAV, MEM, ORF, ACY, SUA, EYW, MHH, JAX, FOK, UST, MLB, OPF, SDF, RIC, PGD, SRQ, PBI, CLE, BDL, PWK, TEB, CVG, OKC, PVD, RSW, EFD, PIT, HPN, ABE, PSM, ASE, HVN, PLS, PWM, CUN, APA, GRR, SAT, YUL, LIR, CLD, RNO, VNY, SMF, SNA, SJC, PDX, OAK, SLC, ATL, JWN, STL, IAH, BWI, BNA, CLT, MIA, IAD, TPA, MDW, DFW, EWR, MCO, DCA, AUS, DTW, PHL, DAL, BOS, HOU, YYZ, FLL, MCI, LAS, DEN, ORD, LGA, MSP, JFK, PHX, SAN, SEA, LHR, LAX and SFO. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
New Orleans is 1 hour behind Raleigh/Durham.
Yes, return flights from MSY to RDU are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include GSO and ILM. See the Alternatives section for a full comparison.
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 MSY

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) are connected by nonstop service from Frontier, Mexicana and Southwest Airlines. With 8 weekly departures, this is a regularly served route.

RDU to MSY Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from RDU to MSY ranges from 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 28 minutes. The route covers a distance of 779 miles (1,254 km). There are approximately 8 weekly flights outbound and 8 return, totaling 16 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

107 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 2 hours via AGS. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Greensboro (GSO) and Wilmington (ILM).