Breeze Adds Year-Round Twice-Weekly Stewart to Raleigh-Durham Flights

Breeze Airways and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced an expansion of service at Stewart International Airport (SWF) that will add twice-weekly year-round nonstop flights to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). The route is scheduled to begin May 6, 2026, with flights operating on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and will connect Stewart-area travelers to more than 30 onward destinations through Breeze’s network.

The new RDU link positions Stewart in New Windsor as a practical alternative for Hudson Valley flyers who have long driven to JFK, LaGuardia or Newark. Stewart’s lower congestion and parking availability typically shorten pre-flight time and local ground delays, factors that make a midweek and weekend nonstop attractive for both business and leisure travel from Orange County. Breeze already operates year-round service from Stewart to Charleston and Orlando, and the RDU addition expands the airport’s steady network beyond seasonal routes.

Port Authority officials framed the Raleigh-Durham service as strengthening business and travel ties between the Hudson Valley and the Raleigh-Durham region, home to the Research Triangle’s technology, life sciences and higher-education clusters. For Orange County businesses with partners, suppliers or clients in North Carolina, a twice-weekly nonstop cuts a layer of connection time that previously required connections through larger New York-area airports.

From an economic standpoint, adding a year-round route can lift passenger volumes and spur ancillary revenues at Stewart through parking, concessions and ground transportation. Low-cost carriers such as Breeze tend to stimulate local leisure demand while supporting point-to-point business travel on nonstop links. For the regional travel market, the new service is likely to siphon some passengers who currently use Hudson Valley ground routes to metro New York airports, creating modest competitive pressure on fares and scheduling at nearby gateways.

Practical impacts for Orange County residents include more direct travel windows to Raleigh-Durham for business trips timed midweek and for weekend getaways, plus easier connections to Breeze’s broader network of more than 30 onward destinations. Travelers should expect the first scheduled flights on May 6, 2026; further scheduling and fare details will be available through Breeze Airways as the launch approaches.

The rollout underscores Stewart’s gradual evolution from a secondary field to a year-round feeder for both leisure and targeted business markets. For Orange County, the expansion means simpler access to the Research Triangle and added capacity for outbound travel - a small but tangible improvement in regional connectivity that could tighten economic ties between the Hudson Valley and North Carolina over the coming year.