RDU could shutter terminal

Morrisville, N.C. — Raleigh-Durham International Airport officials have floated the idea of closing its older terminal once the second phase of its new terminal opens up.

Closing the blue-walled Terminal 1 would save RDU money at a time when air traffic is down, spokeswoman Mindy Hamlin said.

The airport opened the $570 million first phase of Terminal 2 last fall, replacing the 21-year-old red-roofed terminal that was originally built as a hub for American Airlines. The second phase of the project is scheduled to open in 2011.

Once complete, Terminal 2 will have 32 gates, and Hamlin said all of the airlines serving the region could be moved there. Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and AirTran were the only airlines projected to stay in the old terminal after Terminal 2 was completed.

"We have talked about what are we going to do when that (second part of) Terminal 2 opens in the winter of 2011," she said. "It is not out of the question for us to close Terminal 1 when phase two of Terminal 2 opens."

The recession has caused air travel to fall in recent months as airlines cut the number of daily flights. RDU reported 9.7 million passengers last year, a 3.1 percent drop from 2007, and Hamlin said the numbers aren't expected to top the 10-million mark again until the economy improves.

"We understand the aviation industry is cyclical. There have been a lot of changes made to schedules here at RDU and airports across the country," she said. "As we approach that (2011) opening, we will re-evaluate where we are as far as air service, demand, airlines (and) schedules, and we'll make a decision."

RDU also closed part of Terminal 1 – it was known as Terminal A at the time – in 1989 when Eastern Airlines went bankrupt and ceased operations. The terminal remained closed for five years until traffic through the airport picked up enough to warrant reopening the gates.

Another temporary shutdown of Terminal 1 also would give the airport the opportunity to start – and possibly complete – a planned overhaul of the facility to avoid disrupting traffic whenever it reopens, Hamlin said.

20 Comments

WRAL.com welcomes your comments on this story. All comments are moderated prior to publication based on our posting guidelines. Please review them prior to posting and if your message is not approved.

VIEW ALL 20 COMMENTS

This story is closed for comments. Comments on WRAL.com news stories are accepted and moderated between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Latest Comments

what is the big deal with these high dollar terminals. do we really need 5 star restaurants and high end shops in an airport. you're there an hour or two max (unless you're stuck b/c of a delay or lay over). all of these mega terminals are a waste of money. btw, i've fly out of RDU at least twice a month and this is by far the best airport in terms of friendliness and on time departures.

tobis19341
January 30, 2009 6:39 p.m.

I too can remember the chain link fence, corrugated steel roof walkway airport. That's what was here in the late 60's early 70's.

I do think more of the cost of rebuilding, refurb'ing the airport should fall on the travelers. When I fly, I pay my share, and if the current fee is too low, raise it.

"With luck the entire airport will shut down."

Another mental midget!!! I don't use it, so we don't need it. There are those of us that feel that way about all the sports / basketball facilities around the state!

discowhale
January 30, 2009 6:33 p.m.

TGW: You must travel once every 20 years. The people at the Northeast airports are very polite (at least they answer a question - hear you get a pathetic stare). Most of the rude people are at RDU and Charlotte (especially Charloooote).

RDU needs to remove that ugly blue tin garbage can.

atc2
January 30, 2009 3:27 p.m.

The "original" part of the terminal included the tower and observation deck. Somewhat like a small version of the old Idlewilde (now JFK) in NY. Whatever else happens to the terminal, it would be nice if that small section could be retained for it historical and sentimental value. Would need a Piedmont DC-3 to complete the scene.

unc70
January 30, 2009 3:23 p.m.

While traffic is down it makes perfect sense to me to close that terminal and use the opportunity to either refurbish it or replace it. Doing the work now while costs for materials are down and contractors are hungry for the work is the smart thing to do. Once the economy and traffic improves RDU will be ready to handle the increased traffic.

jeffdewitt
January 30, 2009 3:22 p.m.