Raleigh-Durham International Airport

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Raleigh-Durham International Airport

IATA: RDU – ICAO: KRDU – FAA: RDU
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority
Serves The Research Triangle Metropolitan Region of North Carolina, including Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill and the Research Triangle Park
Elevation AMSL 435 ft / 133 m
Coordinates 35°52′40″N 078°47′15″W / 35.87778°N 78.7875°W / 35.87778; -78.7875
Website www.rdu.com
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
5L/23R 10,000 3,048 Concrete
5R/23L 7,500 2,286 Asphalt
14/32 3,570 1,088 Asphalt

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (IATA: RDU, ICAO: KRDU, FAA LID: RDU) is located nine statute miles (14 km) northwest of the town of Morrisville in suburban Wake County, North Carolina, midway between the cities of Raleigh and Durham. The airport covers 4,929 acres (1,995 ha) and operates three runways, providing direct service to 36[1] domestic and international destinations on 406 daily flights.[2] In 2007, more than 10 million passengers traveled through the airport.[3] The RDU Airport Authority is in charge of the airport facilities and its operations. The Airport Authority is controlled by a board comprised of members from the counties of Wake and Durham, and the cities of Raleigh and Durham.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Early days

Early photo of Raleigh-Durham Airport.

The region's first airport opened in 1929 as Raleigh's municipal airport, located just south of what is now the city's downtown area. However the initial airfield's runways were limited and not well suited to commercial service. Consequently, in 1939 the North Carolina General Assembly chartered the Raleigh-Durham Aeronautical Authority to build and operate a larger, replacement airport convenient to both Raleigh and Durham. This effort also was strongly promoted by Eastern Air Lines, led by then Eastern chairman Eddie Rickenbacker who sought to make Raleigh/Durham a stopover on the airline's New York-Miami route.

The new Raleigh-Durham airport opened for commercial service on May 1, 1943 inaugurated with flights by Eastern Airlines. The passenger terminal was built from materials remaining after the construction of four Army barracks for the site's use as an Army Air Forces Air Technical Service Command airfield.[4] Following World War II, Capital Airlines and Piedmont Airlines joined Eastern at RDU. Delta Air Lines and Allegheny Airlines began service in the 1970s, and Trans World Airlines and American Airlines began service in the 1980s. Midway Airlines began operations at RDU in the 1990s and offered hub service until ceasing operations in 2003.

Main article: Airline hubs at RDU
Southwest Boeing 737 on final approach to runway 23R.
An American Airlines Boeing 777 flight from London Gatwick Airport lands at RDU.

RDU's post-hub years have brought the addition of several new carriers (most notably Southwest Airlines), as well as new destinations and the recovery and steady growth of passenger traffic.

American Airlines launched new daily transatlantic service to London (Gatwick) in May, 1994, using a Boeing 767-200ER. (This flight now uses 777-200 or 767-300ER equipment.) Growth on the route continues today, partly due to the needs of the region's corporate travelers, particularly those of GlaxoSmithKline which has major bases of operation in west London and the Research Triangle region. On March 29, 2008, American upgraded its London flight to serve the larger and more centrally located Heathrow Airport.

Due to high fuel prices, AMR reduced the number of flights by cutting Jacksonville FL, Kansas City MO, Newark NJ and Louisville KY. Mainline flights to Austin, New York-LaGuardia, and St Louis were dropped. Other destinations saw reduced service or downgrade of service. Along with the American cuts, other airlines cut flights and destinations also. This included United's Denver service and Midwest Connect's Milwaukee service, while other airlines dropped frequencies on routes. Independently, ExpressJet ended its service to Kansas City and New Orleans (it now only operates flights under Continental Express). For the 2008 year, RDU lost over 30 flights compared to March 2008 schedule.

[edit] Terminals, Airlines and Destinations

[edit] Terminal 1

Southwest docked at the upper gates of Terminal 1.

There are no gates A1 - A4. Gates A10, A13 have no jetbridges/unusable. Gates A5-A9 currently not in use. [5]

Airlines Destinations
AirTran Airways Atlanta
Continental Airlines Houston-Intercontinental, Newark
Continental Connection operated by Colgan Air Newark
Continental Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines Cleveland
Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines Cleveland, Houston-Intercontinental, Newark
JetBlue Airways Boston, Fort Lauderdale, New York-JFK
Southwest Airlines Baltimore, Chicago-Midway, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Nashville, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Tampa
US Airways Charlotte, Philadelphia, Phoenix
US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin Charlotte, New York-LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Washington-Reagan
US Airways Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines New York-LaGuardia, Washington-Reagan
US Airways Express operated by PSA Airlines Charlotte
US Airways Express operated by Republic Airlines Charlotte, Philadelphia
US Airways Express operated by Trans States Airlines Pittsburgh

Terminal 1 Clubs and Lounges

[edit] Terminal 2

Northwest Airlines landing on the Runway 5L-23R
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 at Raleigh-Durham International Airport

Gates C12, C14 unassigned

Charter Express: Unassigned

[edit] Terminal 2: destinations

Airlines Destinations
Air Canada Jazz Toronto-Pearson
American Airlines Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, London-Heathrow, Miami
American Connection operated by Chautauqua Airlines St. Louis
American Eagle Boston, Chicago-O'Hare, Columbus (OH), Hartford/Springfield, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, St. Louis, Washington-Reagan
Delta Air Lines Atlanta, Cancún [seasonal], Paris-Charles de Gaulle [begins 2010][6], Salt Lake City
Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines Atlanta, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
Delta Connection operated by Chautauqua Airlines Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, New York-JFK
Delta Connection operated by Comair Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, Washington-Reagan [ends September 16]
Delta Connection operated by Freedom Airlines Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, New York-JFK
Northwest Airlines Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul
Northwest Airlink operated by Pinnacle Airlines Indianapolis, Memphis
United Airlines Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles
United Express operated by Mesa Airlines Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles
United Express operated by Shuttle America Chicago-O'Hare
United Express operated by Trans States Airlines Chicago O'Hare [seasonal]

Charter Airlines

Terminal 2 Clubs and Lounges

[edit] General Aviation Terminal

[edit] Cargo Terminal

RDU's North Cargo Terminal

The airport incorporates two cargo areas, North Cargo and South Cargo. The North Cargo terminal area is used by cargo airlines. The South Cargo terminal area is used by commercial airlines for cargo ops.

[edit] Airlines and destinations

[edit] Passenger statistics

Since September 11, 2001, passenger traffic at RDU has rebounded to near pre-9/11 levels:

1980s 1990s 2000s
*1985 = 2.7 million
*1986 = 3.1 million
*1987 = 4.8 million
*1988 = 7.3 million
*1989 = 8.5 million		 *1990 = 9.2 million
*1991 = 9.3 million
*1992 = 9.9 million
*1993 = 9.6 million
*1994 = 8.9 million
*1995 = 5.9 million
*1996 = 6.4 million
*1997 = 6.7 million
*1998 = 7.2 million
*1999 = 8.9 million		 *2000 = 10.4 million
*2001 = 9.6 million
*2002 = 8.2 million
*2003 = 7.9 million
*2004 = 8.6 million
*2005 = 9.4 million
*2006 = 9.4 million
*2007 = 10.0 million
*2008 = 9.6 million

[edit] Airport facilities

The airport is currently implementing the most ambitious expansion in its history, begun in 2006 and originally scheduled for completion in Fall 2011. The airport has two terminals: an older Terminal 1, and a new Terminal 2 which continues under construction. The two terminals do not have an airside connection. Passengers moving between the terminals may ride a shuttle bus, or take the moving walkway through the covered parking decks between the terminals.

[edit] Terminal 1

The first terminal facility at RDU opened in 1955. Expanded in the 1970s, the building was named Terminal B in 1981 when then-new Terminal A opened. The buildings were connected by a landside interior walkway. Terminal B was closed in 1989. In 1994, Terminal B lost its identity when it was renovated into an extension of Terminal A; an airside walkway was added to link all gates. Most recently, in 2001 the south end of Terminal A was extended to include five "temporary" gates; these gates will be closed in 2009, as the airlines using them are moved to other gates.

Terminal A was renamed Terminal 1 on October 26, 2008 to bring RDU in line with terminal naming conventions and to end years of confusion.

Terminal 1 will undergo renovation in 2011. The renovation will include interior refurbishment and exterior renovation, so that the appearance will closely mirror that of Terminal 2. The baggage screen area will be renovated in the location of the current gates A18 and A19. The North area ticketing and baggage area, which dates to 1955, will be demolished and be centralized in the main terminal area.

However, these renovations have been delayed by at least 2 years in reaction to economic slowdown in the area and a 2% reduction in passengers at the airport. Should the downturn deepen, airport officials may utilize excess capacity from phase 2 of Terminal 2 to move all airlines from Terminal 1, which would be mothballed until the economy improves.[7][8]

[edit] Terminal 2

New gates at Terminal 2.

Terminal 2 occupies the site of the former Terminal C, built for the American Airlines hub. The architecture of Terminal C assumed that relatively few passengers would originate or terminate their trips in Raleigh-Durham; rather, Terminal C was optimized for the exchange of passengers between connecting flights. After the American and Midway hubs closed, the airport faced a decision about the future of Terminal C and how to eliminate the inconveniences it imposed on local passengers. In December 2003, the Airport Authority announced plans to expand and renovate the originally 300,000-square-foot (28,000 m²) building, transforming it into a new 900,000 ft² (84,000 m²) facility. In January 2006, however, the airport decided instead to replace the building entirely.

Terminal 2 consists of two phases. The first, larger phase opened on October 26, 2008 after a construction outlay of $570 million [9]. Consisting of a single Concourse C, Terminal 2 is currently a 19 gate facility with 8 custom stands in the Federal Inspection Station area.

Phase 2 of Terminal 2, which will add Concourse D, is scheduled to open in 2011. At that time Terminal 2 will have 32 gates, three configured for international flights. All gates will feature adjustable jetbridges that will accommodate aircraft from regional jets to Boeing 747s. The federal inspection has increased to 16 stations.

Terminal 2 was designed by Fentress Architects under a philosophy of contextual regionalism, related to Critical regionalism. The design invokes the flowing hills and culture of North Carolina's Piedmont region.[citation needed]

[edit] General aviation

Planes parked at the RDU general aviation terminal.
RDU control tower and parking lot.

RDU's General Aviation Terminal serves as a pilot's resource center, a private-event facility, offices for local aviation-related companies and as a place of embarkation and debarkation for a variety of private and chartered flights (sports, military and leisure). The terminal also houses the Cross-Winds Cafe and one of the airport's two observation decks, that overlooks runway 5R/23L. The Raleigh-Wake squadron from the North Carolina wing of the Civil Air Patrol meets here.

A rental car facility is located in the terminal for general-aviation customers, military personnel and charter flight passengers.

[edit] Runways

RDU has three runways. Two parallel runways designated 5L/23R and 5R/23L. There is also a cross-winds runway designated 14/32. Prior to September 11, 2001, The RDU Airport Authority and Federal Aviation Administration planned a fourth runway at the airport, but with the demise of the Midway Airlines hub and the airline industry downturn following 9/11 terrorist attacks, this plan was placed on hold. During the period between May 27, 2008 and June 24, 2008, Terminal 1's runway was closed for renovations. [10].

[edit] Parking

In addition to standard hourly and daily parking garages, RDU operates four park-and-ride lots served by shuttle bus.

  • Lot 1 is a "cellphone waiting" lot
  • Lots 2 and 5 are used primarily for seasonal overflow and holiday traffic.
  • Lots 3 and 4 are traditional park-and-ride facilities.

There are, currently, a total of 11,021 parking spaces available to passengers [11]

[edit] Military

  • North Carolina National Guard AH-64: A/D Apache Attack Helicopter Unit
  • USO (United Service Organizations): Located on the second level of Terminal 1, North Carolina's first airport-based USO opened for military families in 2004. The facility operates 24 hours every day, staffed entirely by volunteers.

[edit] Observation areas

A model of RDU runways for children at the outdoor observation deck.

RDU maintains two public observation decks.

  • One deck overlooks runway 5L/23R near the air traffic control tower and park-and-ride lot 2. It has a playground with a simplistic model of RDU's runways for kids and air traffic communications are broadcast via a loudspeaker for the curious public.
  • The second deck is located at the General Aviation Terminal. It includes a cafe called CrossWinds Cafe. This observation deck allows for both inside and outside viewing.

[edit] Ground transportation

[edit] Public transit

Public transportation to and from RDU is provided by Triangle Transit, which offers scheduled, fixed-route regional and commuter bus service between the airport and the principal cities of Raleigh, Durham and town of Chapel Hill (where TTA connects with the respective local urban transit systems), as well as to and from Research Triangle Park and several of the region's larger suburban communities. Amtrak and intercity rail connections are available via TTA service to Raleigh, Durham or Chapel Hill.

[edit] For hire

  • Taxicab service at RDU is operated by RDU Taxi Inc., with a contract that runs through December 31, 2012.
  • Shuttle services: As in most regions, numerous hotels throughout the area offer guest shuttles to and from the airport. Service varies by location, however most are available from approximately 6 a.m. daily through the final arrival/departure of the evening.
  • Major rental car providers operating from the airport include Avis, Alamo, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Airline Destinations". RDU Airport Authority. http://www.rdu.com/airlineflightinfo/destinations.htm. 
  2. ^ "RDU Fast Facts". RDU Airport Authority. 2008-08-29. http://www.rdu.com/news/fastfact.htm. Retrieved on 2008-10-02. 
  3. ^ RDU Airport Authority (2008-01-17). RDU Ends 2007 with Ten Million Passengers. Press release. http://rdu.com/news/2008/release_011708.htm. 
  4. ^ Baskas, Harriet (2004-10-11). "Stuck at the Airport: Raleigh-Durham - Haven for bibliophiles at RDU". Expedia.com. http://www.expedia.com/daily/airports/Raleigh-Durham.asp. Retrieved on 2008-09-22. 
  5. ^ http://www.rdu.com/airlineflightinfo/continental.htm
  6. ^ "Delta delays RDU-Paris flight". WRAL.com. 2008-12-23. http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4192520/. Retrieved on 2008-12-23. 
  7. ^ "Weak economy could delay projects at RDU". WRAL. November 20, 2008. http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4001150/. 
  8. ^ "RDU could shutter terminal". WRAL. January 30, 2009. http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4435772/. 
  9. ^ "Getting there won't be easy". News and Observer. November 24, 2008. http://www.newsobserver.com/100/story/1307188.html. 
  10. ^ Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority (2008-07-01). RDU Continues Runway Rehabilitation Project. Press release. http://www.rdu.com/news/2008/release_070108b.htm. 
  11. ^ "Fast Facts". Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. http://www.rdu.com/news/fastfact.htm. Retrieved on 2008-04-06. 

[edit] External links

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