Raleigh-Durham International Airport

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Raleigh-Durham International Airport
IATA: RDU - ICAO: KRDU - FAA: RDU
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority
Serves The Triangle (North Carolina)
Elevation AMSL 435 ft (133 m)
Coordinates 35°52′40″N, 078°47′15″W
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 9 miles (14.5 km) northwest of Morrisville in Wake County, North Carolina, between the cities of Raleigh and Durham. The airport covers 4,929 acres and has three runways. RDU is one of the fastest-growing airports in the United States; it serves around 10 million passengers per year for international and domestic travel.

Contents

[edit] History

Raleigh's municipal airport opened in 1929, south of the city, but its runways were very short. In 1939 the North Carolina General Assembly chartered the Raleigh-Durham Aeronautical Authority to build and operate a replacement airport convenient to both Raleigh and Durham. This effort was strongly promoted by Eastern Air Lines, then led by Eddie Rickenbacker who wanted to make the Raleigh/Durham area a stop on its New York-Miami route.

RDU opened for commercial service on May 1, 1943 with Eastern flights. After 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.

In 1987, RDU doubled in size when American opened a north-south hub in a new terminal with a new apron and runway. The hub was operational until 1996, and brought RDU its first international flights. American's presence at RDU was replaced by Midway Airlines, which opened a new hub in Terminal C as American pulled out; this hub closed in 2001.

[edit] American Airlines hub

An American Airlines Boeing 777-200ER landing at RDU.
An American Airlines Boeing 777-200ER landing at RDU.

[1] [2] In the mid 1980s, American Airlines aimed to gain market share on Northeast-to-Florida routes, and in the U.S. East Coast market generally. The airline had little presence on this market, especially as its first two hubs, Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago, were too far west to compete with Delta Air Lines (Atlanta), Piedmont Airlines (Charlotte and Baltimore/Washington, both of which later became USAir hubs) and Eastern Air Lines (Atlanta and Miami).

Two years after beginning service in April 1985, Raleigh-Durham (RDU) was selected as a new north-south hub between the two regions American was coveting. (Nashville was selected as its east-west counterpart.) On June 15, 1987, just two years after beginning RDU service, American inaugurated a new hub at the 30-gate Terminal C, which the RDU Airport Authority let American build for its own needs. In 1988, American launched the first scheduled intercontinental flight from RDU, a daily roundtrip to Orly Airport in Paris operated with a Boeing 767-200ER.

By mid-December 1989, Eastern Air Lines' creditors and AMR Corporation agreed upon the sale of the former's Latin American routes from Miami. Miami became an American hub in 1989, which undercut the RDU hub since the new flights to Northeastern cities were bypassing it. Since Miami is a large city with more origin & destination (O&D) traffic than RDU, it was also more profitable to operate Miami-Northeast flights non-stop. Despite the presence of the Miami hub, traffic at RDU continued to grow, peaking in 1992 with 9.9 million passengers.

However, American started to reduce the size of its RDU operation in September 1993, beginning a 3-year period of reductions before shutting down the hub altogether; in those months, mainline daily departures were brought back to 113. Service was again reduced in May 1994 to 105 departures. In January and May of 1994, a total of 284 employees were laid off at RDU; many more were transferred to DFW, Miami and other stations.

Presently, American Boeing 777s fly between Raleigh-Durham and London Gatwick (England). At times, the 767-323ER, shown in this picture, is used.
Presently, American Boeing 777s fly between Raleigh-Durham and London Gatwick (England). At times, the 767-323ER, shown in this picture, is used.

Sixteen additional departures were cancelled in June 1994, but RDU saw a progressive switch from AA to regional subsidiary American Eagle when mainline departures were pared down to 70 in August 1994 while American Eagle flights were increased to 112. However, American announced the regional subsidiary would completely pull out of RDU in January 1995, reducing the number of services left to 50. Service to Paris ceased in September 1994 following the busy summer season.

With 45 daily departure left, the American Airlines RDU hub was officially closed on May 1, 1996, one year after the Nashville hub and shortly before the San Jose hub.

Boeing 727s and McDonnell Douglas MD-80s built the backbone of the RDU operations; Boeing 767s were used for the trans-Atlantic routes, and DC-10s operated on the LGA/BOS-RDU-MCO/MIA trunk routes for some time. Near the end of the hub, American also operated Fokker F100s.

Despite these cutbacks, a new daily transatlantic service to London Gatwick was launched in May 1994, using a Boeing 767-200ER. It now uses a 777-200 and sometimes the 767-300ER. This route continues to operate today due to the needs of corporate customers, particularly GlaxoSmithKline which has major bases in south London and the RDU area.

[edit] Midway Airlines hub

After an abortive attempt at New York-Chicago service, startup carrier Midway Airlines moved its headquarters from Chicago to Morrisville, North Carolina and set up a hub at RDU. Midway's arrival at RDU coincided with the closure of the American hub, and Midway inherited American's terminal space. At the outset, Midway also used Fokker F100 aircraft that were familiar to American's passenger base.

At the height of its operations, Midway offered almost 200 flights daily from RDU to 25 destinations on the East Coast, and was used by many passengers travelling between the Northeast and Southeast. Midway was particularly predominant at Washington National Airport.

The high-tech slump of 2000/2001 hurt Midway. In 2001, Midway laid off 700 employees, or half of its work force, eliminated service to 9 cities, and cut flights to 18 others. It also reduced its fleet by 17 planes. The carrier abruptly filed for bankruptcy on the evening of August 13; thousands of employees were laid off. [3]

After Midway's bankruptcy, almost all of its aircraft were sold except for six small regional jets. Midway ended operations under its own livery and became a US Airways Express carrier, focusing on regional flights within North and South Carolina. It ceased operations in 2003 when it was unable to acquire enough capital to stay afloat.

[edit] Passenger Statistics

Since the tragedy of September 11, 2001, RDU traffic has rebounded to nearly pre-9/11 levels:

  • 2000 = 10.5 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

[edit] Terminals, airlines and destinations

Early photo of Raleigh Durham Airport
Early photo of Raleigh Durham Airport

The first terminal at RDU opened in 1955. Expanded in the 1970s, it was renamed Terminal B in 1981 when Terminal A opened. A and B were connected by an interior walkway. Terminal C opened in 1987 to house the American hub; it was reached from A or B by an outdoor walkway or shuttle bus. Terminal B subsequently lost its separate identity when it was renovated into an extension of Terminal A. Parking decks now provide a mostly sheltered walk between A and C.

[edit] Renovations/Expansions

In December 2003, the airport authority announced plans to expand and renovate the existing 300,000 square foot (28,000 m²) Terminal C, transforming it into a new 900,000 ft² (84,000 m²) facility. Construction began in 2005 and will be complete by 2010. There are also long-term plans to link the airport to the proposed Triangle Transit Authority DMU rapid rail system.

In January 2006, the RDU Airport Authority decided to rebuild the entire Terminal C. With the demise of the American/Midway hub, more of Terminal C's passengers are originating or ending their trips at RDU and fewer are connecting, requiring reconfiguration of Terminal C's land side. The South Concourse is to be rebuilt so that the entire facility will be complete by early 2010. The new Terminal 2 (renamed) will contain 32 gates, of which 3 will be international. All gates will have adjustable jetbridges that can be used for aircraft from regional jets to Boeing 747s. The proposed occupants are American, Air Canada, Continental, Northwest, Delta, United, and US Airways. To view the construction progress, check the Construction Photo Page of the RDU website.

Nearing the completion of Terminal 2, Terminal 1 (old Terminal A) will be renovated/refurbished and converted into the LCC terminal. The proposed occupants are AirTran, jetBlue, ExpressJet, and Southwest.

[edit] Airline lounges

  • US Airways Club operated by US Airways adjacent to Gate 20 in Terminal A.
  • Crown Room operated by Delta Air Lines adjacent to Gate 15 in Terminal A.
  • Admirals Club operated by American Airlines near Gate 18 in Terminal C, during Terminal C reconstruction.
  • USO (United Service Organizations) - North Carolina's first opened for military families in 2004 in Terminal A, a 24-hour facility completely run by volunteers.

[edit] Terminal A

Terminal A opened in 1981; called "The Blue Box". The former Terminal B was renovated into an extension of Terminal A in the late 1990s to accommodate demand from low-cost carriers, notably Southwest Airlines. Continental (gates A26-A28) was briefly a tenant of the utilitarian concourse space which was opened in 1999, consisting of gates A20-A28. In 2001, five gates were added to Terminal A on the south end, where Continental Airlines has since moved their operations to gates A7-A9.

[edit] Gate Assignments

[edit] Destinations

[edit] Terminal C

Terminal C was built in 1987 to house American Airlines' hub. It is under redevelopment. Called "the Barn" or "Red Roof".

Architect's rendition of Terminal C after renovation
Architect's rendition of Terminal C after renovation

[edit] Gate Assignment

[edit] Destinations


[edit] General Aviation Terminal

  • Cross-Winds Cafe
  • Observation Deck overlooking runway 5R/23L
  • Fixed Base Operators: Landmark Aviation and SouthernJet
  • Executive Jet Aviation ( NetJets )
FedEx A310s fly daily from Memphis and Indianapolis to RDU
FedEx A310s fly daily from Memphis and Indianapolis to RDU

[edit] Cargo Terminal

  • Airborne Express/DHL (Wilmington OH)
  • Business Airfreight (New Bern, Edenton)
  • Capital Cargo (Toledo, Ft Lauderdale)
  • FedEx (Indianapolis, Newark, Memphis)
  • Martinair (UPS) (Wilmington NC, Jacksonville NC, New Bern NC)
  • Ram Air Freight (New Bern NC, Charlotte, Richmond, Elizabeth City, Concord, Greenville NC, North Wilkesboro NC, Asheville, Charleston WV)
  • UPS (Philadelphia, Louisville)
  • US Check / Air Now (Charlotte)

[edit] Historical airlines

[edit] Previous airlines

[edit] Historical hubs

  • New York Air (Merged with Continental) (Knoxville, Greensboro, Savannah, Washington-Dulles, Washington-National, Boston, New York-LaGuardia, Newark, Jacksonville, New Orleans, White Plains, Hartford)
  • Wheeler Airlines (Charlotte, Norfolk, Richmond, Winston-Salem)
  • Sunbird Airlines (Bought by US Airways)(Rocky-Mount, Greenville, Fayetteville, Charlotte)
  • American Airlines (London-Gatwick, Paris-Orly, Boston, Providence, Hartford, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Stewart, White Plains, Newark, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Columbus, Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, Washington-National, Baltimore/Washingon, Norfolk, Richmond, Newport News, Nashville, Knoxville, Tri-Cities, Dallas /Fort Worth, Atlanta, Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Fayetteville, New Bern, Wilmington, Jacksonville, Rocky Mount, Greenville/Spartansburg, Columbia, Charleston, Florence, Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Jacksonville, Melbourne, Daytona Beach, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Fort Myers, Sarasota, Tampa, Aruba, San Juan, St Thomas)
  • Midway Airlines (San Jose (CA), Los Angeles, Steamboat Springs, Denver, New Orleans, Birmingham (AL), Atlanta, Columbia (SC), Greenville/Spartanburg, Louisville, Indianapolis, Dayton, Columbus OH, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Rochester, Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Ft. Myers, West Palm Beach, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, New Bern, Wilmington, Norfolk, Washington-Dulles, Washington-National, Philadelphia, Boston, Providence, Newark, New York-LaGuardia, Newburgh, Hartford, Cancun)

[edit] Other information

[edit] Facts

  • RDU has 2 observation decks. One overlooks runway 5L/23R near the Air Traffic Control Tower and Park & Ride 2, the other is located at the General Aviation Terminal.
  • The North Carolina National Guard has an AH-64A/D Apache attack helicopter unit located at RDU.
  • RDU has 4 Park & Ride Lots: Lot 1 was closed permanently, Lots 3 & 4 are currently used while Lots 2 & 5 are only used for holiday overflow traffic.
  • Terminal B (the original terminal) was closed, but later re-opened as Terminal A Annex (AirTran & Southwest)
  • Terminal C Redevelopment was designed by Fentress Bradburn Architects [4]
  • Before September 11, the FAA planned a fourth runway for RDU but with the demise of Midway Airlines' hub at RDU, passenger traffic decreased.
  • On July 20, 2006, RDU became the first station for JetBlue where a new route was announced the same day as an inaugural flight.
  • Travel to and from the airport is operated by Triangle Transit Authority (TTA).
  • In The Simpsons episode Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming, Sideshow Bob wistfully remembers "the days when aviation was a gentleman's pursuit -- back before every Joe Sweatsock could wedge himself behind a lunch tray and jet off to Raleigh-Durham.
  • In June of 2007 as Midwest Connect, Midwest Airlines, which served RDU from 1998 - 2003 with service to Kansas City and Milwaulkee as Midwest Express and Midwest Express Connect, will be the first airline to return to the airport after closing the station.
  • Representative aircraft that makes a regular scheduled service appearance at RDU: 777, 757, 737, 727F, 717, 310F, 300F, 320, 319, MD88, MD83, MD80, DC9, E190, E170, E145, E140, E135, CR100, CR200, CR700, CR900, DH8, B1900

[edit] News

  • RDU is using a study to look at additional international service to Frankfurt (Germany) and Paris (France). The use of incentives similar to the American London-Gatwick flight is being considered.
  • Additional air service and airport service are a combination of effort between the RDU Airport Authority and Research Triangle Region.

[edit] References

    [edit] External links

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