Raleigh-Durham International Airport
IATA: RDU – ICAO: KRDU – FAA LID: RDU + RDU Location of the Raleigh-Durham International Airport
Summary
Airport type		Public
Owner		Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority
Serves		The Research Triangle Metropolitan Region of North Carolina
Location		Cedar Fork Township, Wake County, North Carolina
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 a public international airport located nine statute miles (14 km) northeast of the town of Morrisville in suburban Wake County, North Carolina , United States.The airport covers 4,929 acres (1,995 ha) and operates three runways, providing direct service to 35 domestic and international destinations on 364 daily flights. In 2007, more than 10 million passengers traveled through the airport. The RDU Airport Authority is in charge of the airport facilities and its operations. The Airport Authority is controlled by a board of representatives from the counties of Wake and Durham, and the cities of Raleigh and Durham.

History

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. 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.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 on final approach to runway 23R.

An American Airlines Boeing 777 flight from London Gatwick Airport lands at RDU.

American Airlines built a dedicated terminal at RDU between 1985 and 1987 to house a new hub operation. However, the RDU hub was operating at a loss even during its heyday in the early 1990s, along with AA's contemporaneous north-south hubs in Nashville International Airport and San Jose International Airport. The hub's traffic peaked in 1991 and operations were gradually downsized through 1995, with some services shifting to American Eagle turboprops and others (such as AA's nonstop flight to Orly Airport in Paris) terminated entirely. Midway Airlines replaced AA as the airport's hub carrier from 1995 until 2003.

However, AA maintained a daily nonstop flight to London, originally launched to London (Gatwick) in May 1994 using a Boeing 767-200ER. (This flight has also used 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 Airlines upgraded its London flight to serve the larger and more centrally located Heathrow Airport.

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. Due to high fuel prices, AMR reduced the number of flights by cutting the flights to Jacksonville International Airport, Kansas City International Airport, Liberty International Airport and Louisville International Airport. Mainline flights to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Port Columbus International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Lambert-St. Louis International Airport were also dropped. Other destinations saw reduced service or downgrade of service. Along with the American Airlines cuts, other airlines cut flights and destinations also. This included United's service to Denver International Airport and US Airways' services to McCarran International Airport and Sky Harbor International Airport, while other airlines dropped frequencies on routes. Independently, ExpressJet ended its services to Kansas City International Airport and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (ExpressJet now only operates flights under Continental Express). For the 2008 year, RDU lost over 30 flights compared to March 2008 schedule.

In 2010, RDU's traffic has begun to recover from the downturn of the past two years. In the first few months of the year, passenger numbers stabilized at RDU, ending the decrease in 2008/2009. In the first four months of 2010, 2.7 million passengers traveled through RDU. Growth was flat, compared to the same period a year ago, but these signs are positive, indicating that the decline is over. Also, after cutting service, carriers at RDU began to add (or re-add) new service to the schedule. In April 2010, Midwest Airlines resumed service from RDU, adding service to General Mitchell International Airport. Southwest Airlines has also aggressively expanded at RDU, adding service to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in May, and replacing American Airlines as the largest carrier at RDU. JetBlue Airlines also increased service to Logan International Airport in May 2010 and will add more flights to Boston, as will Delta, in winter 2010. Delta Air Lines has rapidly increased operations at the airport, restarting service to Los Angeles International Airport in June 2010 after a two-year hiatus. In November 2010, Delta will continue to expand service by offering flights to Port Columbus International Airport, Southwest Florida International Airport, Bradley International Airport, Miami International Airport, Orlando International Airport, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, and Tampa International Airport. Additionally, service to Logan International Airport, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport will increase.

Terminals, airlines and destinations

Southwest Airlines aircraft docked at the upper gates of Terminal 1.

A Northwest Airlines aircraft landing on Runway 5L-23R.

A McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft of American Airlines.

Raleigh-Durham international Airport consists of two terminals: Terminal 1 (gates A10-A28), featuring a US Airways Club lounge and Terminal 2 (gates C1-C14), featuring an Admirals Club operated by American Airlines and a Delta Sky Club lounge.

General Aviation Terminal

• Fixed Base Operators: Landmark Aviation, TAC Air
• Executive Jet: NetJets

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 largest cargo operators are FedEx, UPS, and RAM, which maintains a hublike operation here and at Kinston. RAM's headquarters facility is located adjacent to Terminal 2. The South Cargo terminal area is used by the following commercial airlines for cargo operations:

Passenger statistics

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

Airport facilities

The airport is currently implementing the most ambitious expansion in its history, begun in 2006 and originally scheduled for completion in autumn 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.

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 (A5-A9); these gates were closed in 2009, as the airlines using them 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.

In 2009, the RDU Airport Authority announced its plans for Terminal 1. According to the Authority, after US Airways and Continental Airlines move to Terminal 2 in 2011, the Authority will begin to renovate Terminal 1 to a similar standard to Terminal 2. They plan to permanently close the north and (currently closed) south ends of building, moving Southwest Airlines into the central portion of the terminal.

Terminal 2

New gates at Terminal 2.

Terminal 2 occupies the site of the former Terminal C, built between 1985 and 1987 for the American Airlines hub. In planning the terminal, American assumed that only around 20% of passengers would originate or terminate their trips in Raleigh-Durham; rather, Terminal C was optimized for the exchange of passengers between connecting flights, with a relatively small check-in and baggage claim area. In reality, connecting passengers only accounted for around two-thirds of the terminal's passengers. 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. 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 on January 23, 2011 in time for the 2011 NHL All Star Game. At that time Terminal 2 will have 36 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 area will have 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.

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.

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, and between May 19, 2010 and June 17, 2010, Terminal 1's runway was closed for renovations.

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 "cell-phone 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

Military

• 1 (Attack) Battalion of the 130 Aviation Regiment — North Carolina Army National Guard AH-64A/D Apache/Apache Longbow attack helicopter unit, the first Reserve component unit to receive the Apache
• USO of NC (United Service Organization of North Carolina): 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.

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.

Ground transportation

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, Cary, Wake Forest, Apex, Carrboro, or Chapel Hill.

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 are operating from the airport.

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Location & QuickFacts

Owner & Manager

Airport Operations and Facilities

Airport Communications

Airport Services

Runway Information

Runway 05L/23R

Runway 05R/23L

Runway 14/32

Radio Navigation Aids

Remarks

• NO JET ENGINE MAINTENANCE RUNS BETWEEN 0000-0600.
• PPR FOR ALL MILITARY AIRCRAFT AND UNSCHEDULED CHARTER FLIGHTS WITH 30 OR MORE PASSENGERS. MILITARY PRACTICE APPROACHES REQUIRE APPROVAL. 24 HOURS PRIOR NOTICE REQUIRED. CONTACT ARPT OPERATIONS 919-840-2111.
• ARPT CLSD TO AIRSHIPS.
• TWY E BEHIND SOUTH CARGO 4 & TWY J BEHIND CORPORATE HANGARS NOT VSBL FM ATCT.
• NG PPR FOR LDG CTC V582-9181 C(919)664-9181.
• NG 24 HR PPR FOR JET ACFT & TRANS MIL ACFT - 919-840-2111.
• FOUR ENGINE ACFT WITH WINGSPAN OVER 171 FT & GROUP V MUST USE RY 05L/23R.
• NO APPROVAL REQUIRED FOR PUSHBACK AT TERMINAL GATESUNLESS ACFT REQUIRES USE OF TXWY. CTC ATC PRIOR TO PUSHING ONTO TXWY.

Images and information placed above are from
http://www.airport-data.com/airport/RDU/

We thank them for the data!

General Info
Country	United States
State	NORTH CAROLINA
FAA ID	RDU
Latitude	35-52-39.500N
Longitude	078-47-14.900W
Elevation	435 feet
Near City	RALEIGH/DURHAM

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