RDU Continues Redevelopment of Terminal C with Demolition of the North Concourse

RDU Airport, NC – Raleigh-Durham International Airport embarked on a new phase in its $350 million Terminal C redevelopment with demolition work on the north concourse this week. This is the first large-scale, visible work of the pre-construction phase which began in fall 2004. The demolition work is being led by D.H. Griffin of Raleigh .

Systems and structures within the north concourse are being removed to make way for construction of the new concourse. Over 150,000 square feet of the existing concourse and 30,000 square feet of the existing ticketing and baggage claim areas will be removed during this process.

American Airlines, American Eagle, United Express and AirCanada will continue to offer service in Terminal C from the unaffected ticketing areas and the south end of the concourse.

As contractors remove the walls and interiors of the north concourse, debris will be sorted for recycling and reuse. The airport has contracted with Materials Reclamation, LLC, a firm that will recycle between 60 and 65 percent of the building matter.

When completed, the terminal will feature a new north concourse, expanded ticketing and security checkpoint areas and a larger federal inspections facility for the processing of international flights. The fully-completed Terminal C will be triple the square footage of the current Terminal - from 352, 000 sq. ft. to nearly 900,000 sq. ft.

Terminal C was built as an American Airlines hub facility in the late 1980s. The facility was designed to accommodate only 20 percent of passengers at the ticket counters and security checkpoint areas while the remaining 80 percent of passengers were expected to use the concourse when connecting to other flights. As a result of hub downsizing and additional airlines serving the airport, today 96 percent of the airport's passengers begin and end their trip at RDU. This unique traveler profile requires larger ticketing and security checkpoint areas to accommodate the number of travelers making their way from the ticketing area to the concourse.

Terminal C redevelopment became a viable alternative to a more costly and lengthy Terminal A redevelopment project when the Authority acquired the lease on the facility from American Airlines in June 2002.

Nine major airlines and 12 regional carriers currently offer service at RDU. Some carriers will be relocated from Terminal A to the new Terminal C in 2008 and 2009.

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