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Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Board Votes to Expand Terminal 1 Modernization Project

Jul 22, 2011

RDU Airport, NC – The Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Board today voted to expand the Terminal 1 modernization project to include a new commercial curb and exterior painting. The changes will increase the project budget from $60 to $65 million. The vote took place today at the Airport Authority’s monthly meeting.

“Our goal always is to improve the passenger experience,” said RDU Airport Authority Board Chair Terry Yeargan. “These changes to the commercial curb and the exterior of the building will allow us to meet this goal and make a valuable investment in the airport’s infrastructure, which will serve us for years to come.”

To build a new commercial curb, construction crews will demolish the existing area at Terminal 1 and construct a canopy, a portion of which will extend between the terminal building and the commercial curb.

When completed, Terminal 1 will feature:

  • New exterior building design
  • Higher ceilings in the ticketing and bag claim areas
  • Glass and translucent material to allow more natural light in the building
  • An inline baggage handling system
  • Larger security checkpoint that is easy to navigate

Board Approves News Rack Policy

The Airport Authority board today also approved a policy for the placement of newspaper vending machines in the airport’s terminal and parking garage.

The Airport Authority will provide nine news rack structures. Each contains space for four vending machines. Publishers will provide the vending machines following specifications set by the Authority.

Publishers wanting to place vending machines in the airport’s terminals will follow a permitting process. The airport will receive applications on August 15 and issue permits on September 15. Permits must be submitted annually for renewal.

Brantley to Remain at RDU Through Fall
The board today also announced that RDU Airport Director John Brantley will remain in his position through the fall. In March, Brantley announced his retirement effective July 31. The board asked Brantley to remain in his position until a successor is identified.

“The search is going very well, and we want to ensure a smooth transition when the next airport director is selected,” said Yeargan. “The board is very thankful that John has agreed to assist us with the transition by remaining in his position until the fall.”

Passenger Traffic Remains Flat
In the month of June, 832,011 passengers traveled through RDU compared to 829,009 in the same month last year.

Also in June, 15,222,972 lbs. of cargo passed through the airport compared to 16,935,415 lbs. in June 2010.

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