RDU International Airport

[DPK]

Sounds very interesting.. Do you have a link you might be able to post. I have some old pictures of what they envisioned for terminal A before RDUAA attained terminal C from AA. I doubt it will look anything the same but still very interesting. Hope to here more on this.

Here ya go:

http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/s.../28/story4.html

I just realized that you have to be a paid subscriber to read the entire article. Anyone have the entire article?

Edited January 25, 2008 by DPK

[Cary NC]

Here ya go:

http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/s.../28/story4.html

I just realized that you have to be a paid subscriber to read the entire article. Anyone have the entire article?

Everyday an article from the current week edition is available for free. Maybe sometime within the week it will appear free.

Edited January 26, 2008 by Cary NC

[ERJ170]

So how will Southwest react to this information? They were happy with the renovations, because it would keep their costs on a relatively low basis. But a new build usually means higher fees which is not very Southwest-esque.. and it may take longer than initially anticipated.

Wonder how many gates it will have.. the renovation was gonna be about 21.. maybe they will increase it to 30? Wonder if they will just mirror Terminal 2? Whatever the case.. RDU is gonna be pretty darn interesting around 2015!!!!

[RALNATIVE]

So how will Southwest react to this information? They were happy with the renovations, because it would keep their costs on a relatively low basis. But a new build usually means higher fees which is not very Southwest-esque.. and it may take longer than initially anticipated.

Wonder how many gates it will have.. the renovation was gonna be about 21.. maybe they will increase it to 30? Wonder if they will just mirror Terminal 2? Whatever the case.. RDU is gonna be pretty darn interesting around 2015!!!!

Despite Southwest concerns, I think that we all know the time has come for that Terminal to be replaced. They have been doing renovations on that Terminal for decades, and there is only but so much more that can be done to improve it as-is.

[ChiefJoJo]

So how will Southwest react to this information? They were happy with the renovations, because it would keep their costs on a relatively low basis. But a new build usually means higher fees which is not very Southwest-esque.. and it may take longer than initially anticipated.

Wonder how many gates it will have.. the renovation was gonna be about 21.. maybe they will increase it to 30? Wonder if they will just mirror Terminal 2? Whatever the case.. RDU is gonna be pretty darn interesting around 2015!!!!

Whoa, take it easy... the Authority chairman said they haven't even decided to go for a total rebuild yet. From an aesthetic perspective, I'd like to see it as Terminal A--err, 1--is kind of an embarrassing presentation for visitors to the area.

[DanRNC]

Terminal 1 isn't even functional in its current form-have you seen the baggage claim area that extends the entire length of the building? Passenger drop-off/pick up merges together causing a gamish of traffic.

[DPK]

Honestly, they really do need to just start from scratch with Terminal A. There's only so much renovation you can do before it starts to get counterproductive. It really needs to be restructured in terms of security, baggage claim, pick-up/drop-off, etc. You keep renovating that thing, it'll end up cost as much as a new building anyways in a decade.

[ERJ170]

Honestly, they really do need to just start from scratch with Terminal A. There's only so much renovation you can do before it starts to get counterproductive. It really needs to be restructured in terms of security, baggage claim, pick-up/drop-off, etc. You keep renovating that thing, it'll end up cost as much as a new building anyways in a decade.

True. But it ain't gonna be cheap. That's all I got to say.. Hopefully they WILL just mirror Terminal C/2 and maybe not put as many bells and whistles in it to bring the cost down.. no center artpiece.. no need for the FIS station (or a small one just in case).. no moving sidewalk.. may be a Tobacco Road Lounge since no LCC will have a Lounge.. 27 gates instead of 33.. 3 ticketing islands instead of 4... 30 kiosks instead of 50? 60? (how many is Terminal 2 to have?)... perhaps instead of 3 international gates, they could have 1 international gate and 2 40-stand RJ gates? That way no need for jetbridges and smaller spaces needed..

[Gard]

I hope that if they rebuild it, that they build it with airport-traffic increasing in mind. If your going to rebuild it, rebuild it correctly so later down the road you aren't sitting there wishing you had it built larger in the first place. IMO, they should go even more on a grander scale than they did with the terminal currently being built.

[dmccall]

Ugh. Here we go again. If the airport had any foresight on this issue, they would have started with a 100% new design 10 years ago, before the decks were built. both runways are kind of close to each other, so it would have made a LOT more sense to put a central terminal with spokes going out to gate pods. If both terminals were going to be demolished, it would have been WAY cheaper and efficient to redesign the whole thing. ARRGH!!

Here is the residential equivalent of our piecemeal airport:

[DanRNC]

I would say that it is more of the redneck school of design-attaching a garage to a trailer or a trailer to a modular home (I am always amazed when I see these).

[DPK]

Full article is now up on TBJ about the Terminal A remake:

http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/s...1496400^1580984

Now it kind of seems like they are leaning back to just renovations and not tearing it down.

[pack-man]

well at least they have allotted $200 mill for the project. that is a substantial amount of money that should be able to make some significant improvements.

[ChiefJoJo]

WRAL story on RDU's new Terminal 2 opening this summer and how they have attracted some impressive retailers... Starbucks, Carolina Ale House, 42nd Street Oyster Bar, Jason's Deli, etc. I hadn't thought about the timing before, but the terminal will open about the same time as the RCC, which they point out as being key to creating a positive impression of the region for first time visitors.

[Cary NC]

Just read that the LAX nonstop by Delta will be coming back for the summer.

http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/s.../03/story3.html

It is a restricted article (subcriber's only) but maybe later in the week they will have the full article. The few paragraphs you can read for free does give some good info though.

[ERJ170]

Just read that the LAX nonstop by Delta will be coming back for the summer.

http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/s.../03/story3.html

It is a restricted article (subcriber's only) but maybe later in the week they will have the full article. The few paragraphs you can read for free does give some good info though.

The flight would do so much better if they retimed it.. the redeye return and late evening departure is horrible.. they should have a morning departure and the red-eye.. or a morning departure and mid afternoon return..

Hopefully they rethink the CUN flight too and downgrade it to a E70/CR9 instead of dropping it all together..

[kickazzz2000]

The flight would do so much better if they retimed it.. the redeye return and late evening departure is horrible.. they should have a morning departure and the red-eye.. or a morning departure and mid afternoon return..

Hopefully they rethink the CUN flight too and downgrade it to a E70/CR9 instead of dropping it all together..

A CR9 for 3.5 hours from RDU to CUN? I'd rather just not go to CUN.

An E70 wouldn't be so bad though.

[RDUairport]

That route would have to at least have a E70. If they put a CRJ9 on there or smaller I wouldn't expect the route to last long at all. It would be like the Denver flight on the CRJ7. The issue wouldn't be about weight restriction like the Denver flight was but it wouldn't be a fun flight for passengers (especially if there is a screaming baby on the plane). I'd say the LAX flight will be OK. We have the numbers to support the flight and within a few years as numbers grow this flight will eventually move from seasonal to year around.

[ERJ170]

That route would have to at least have a E70. If they put a CRJ9 on there or smaller I wouldn't expect the route to last long at all. It would be like the Denver flight on the CRJ7. The issue wouldn't be about weight restriction like the Denver flight was but it wouldn't be a fun flight for passengers (especially if there is a screaming baby on the plane). I'd say the LAX flight will be OK. We have the numbers to support the flight and within a few years as numbers grow this flight will eventually move from seasonal to year around.

From what I have heard (but not personally experienced), the CR9 is quite comfortable. And remember the DL aircraft have 70 seats in them, not 90.. so there is plenty of legroom. The point was that CUN is not an extremely strong market for RDU.. so perhaps a smaller aircraft would allow for more frequency, higher loads, and better yields. And then, if CUN works Delta could try NAS and finally MBJ. So the potential, for the right size aircraft, is limitless...

[RDUairport]

CUN could be worked on an E70 for a Saturday flight but do you really see NAS and MBJ?.. NAS doesn't even work on an ERJ135 once a week so I personally don't expect that one back and MBJ isn't going to happen. It is much easier for airlines to route people through ATL or MIA than direct from RDU.

Has anyone heard anything from Netjetz? I would have thought that they would have made some type of announcement by now. Should be exciting.

[Cary NC]

I think the Netjets announcement was put off until this month. So any day now. Wral.com has had good coverage on this so far.

Edited March 6, 2008 by Cary NC

[RDUairport]

Yea WRAL has had some good stories and I was wondering because for the last month it has all but stopped. I can't wait to hear something because I believe RDU has a good chance.

[ChiefJoJo]

Yea WRAL has had some good stories and I was wondering because for the last month it has all but stopped. I can't wait to hear something because I believe RDU has a good chance.

According to WRAL, NetJets is expanding in Columbus instead. With the way companies manuver for incentives, we'll never know if it was really that serious.

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

According to WRAL, NetJets is expanding in Columbus instead. With the way companies manuver for incentives, we'll never know if it was really that serious.

Not totally unexpected considering the shape of Ohio's economy, (probably gave great incentives to stay)!

[MadHero]

I fly into a lot of airports around the world and from a business sense, it does matter. Maybe not to the "average joe" who is flying to see his parents or to get to Chicago for a weekend, but I have flown into airports that just screams "PO-DUNK". (Try Wichita). And then go to a sales meeting in that town where someone is telling you they have life changing technology (same as the last guy in that other city) and that you should do business and throw that $300M contract their way with them instead of other guys. It is all perception. It is not going to close the deal, but I have seen deals given the upper hand on location and perception.

I hate to see so much money spent but they looked long and hard at refitted the terminal C or rebuilding it and they chose to rebuild it and that is good enough for me.

RDU is a tired airport and needs something. And if it were just people going away for a weekend shopping trip or to get out of that dreg of a city---Raleigh, that might be OK.

But Raleigh is one of the leading technology centers of the world and one way we can act like it and get that first perception is to upgrade the airport, knock it down or whatever. The right people made the decision and again, I am OK with that.

The airport is the gateway to a city. Kind of like driving down Capital BLVD to a new comer