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After an effort that took three years and cost $68 million, the renovated Terminal 1 will provide roomier quarters for its sole airline tenant, Southwest. Airport officials say it also will provide a more relaxed experience for about 2.2 million RDU passengers who fly Southwest and its AirTran subsidiary each year.
I drove by the new Terminal 1 late one night last week. I thought about going out to the airport to see the old terminal for the first time. That must have been around 1956. OMG has it all changed!
when I last flew through RDU last month, it was certainly looking close to finished and it's a huge improvement from the outside. Hopefully the interior lives up to the exterior!
When my family moved to Raleigh in January of 74, that airport was just a spit of a place. We couldn't believe how tiny it was. The biggest shocker was having to pick up your luggage in the parking lot out front from the truck. I remember being excited to see that (now old) interior baggage claim area built on the north end of the terminal. Now I can't wait to see that get removed. I'm only sentimental about the very core of the original airport and would love to see that one "hall" restored somehow to its former use.
when I last flew through RDU last month, it was certainly looking close to finished and it's a huge improvement from the outside. Hopefully the interior lives up to the exterior!
When my family moved to Raleigh in January of 74, that airport was just a spit of a place. We couldn't believe how tiny it was. The biggest shocker was having to pick up your luggage in the parking lot out front from the truck. I remember being excited to see that (now old) interior baggage claim area built on the north end of the terminal. Now I can't wait to see that get removed. I'm only sentimental about the very core of the original airport and would love to see that one "hall" restored somehow to its former use.
That Baggage claim was definitely built before suitcases had wheels on them.
As far as I know, they are going to tear the old part all down.
FYI, they are having an open house Sat Feb 15 from 10-2
Is it just me or is it sickening that taxpayers would foot the $68 million bill for just 2 airlines? SWA & jetBlue. The even more sickening aspect with our airport authority is the forced move of another carrier, forcing them to the other terminal raising their rent in the process. The airport authority then also forced them to give up their gates in T1 to a competitor (SWA).
Is it just me or is it sickening that taxpayers would foot the $68 million bill for just 2 airlines? SWA & jetBlue.
I didn't see any reference to JetBlue in the article. It says Southwest will occupy 5 gates, and four more are available for expansion. (Is $68m/9 a reasonable cost for gates - I have no way to judge.)
Perhaps not unlike the old Terminal C, which I understand was built just for American Airlines?
I didn't see any reference to JetBlue in the article. It says Southwest will occupy 5 gates, and four more are available for expansion. (Is $68m/9 a reasonable cost for gates - I have no way to judge.)
Perhaps not unlike the old Terminal C, which I understand was built just for American Airlines?
So wait...they also forced jetBlue to move to terminal 2? Holy crap, I didn't realize that. So I wonder how much SWA paid our airport authority to give them sole access to their new terminal, and forced Airways to give them their gates (probably nothing, they seem to get things handed to them left and right). This is sickening.
Well, since absolutely no tax dollars are used at the airport and it is fully paid by airline landing fees, the outrage might be a bit misplaced. Yes, they do get to issue bonds like a municipality, but that's about it.
JetBlue moved to additional gates in Terminal 2 when they opened in the second phase to make way for this work when they moved Southwest and AirTran (at the time, they were two separate companies) to the old part of the old terminal.
As mentioned, there is room for expansion in Terminal 1. however, they cannot force an airline to all the sudden come here, though they definitely have marketing staff that are trying to convince airlines to run new routes all the time. There is also additional space in Terminal 2 as well as they planed for some expansion when building it.
I guess everyone will really be mad in 15 or 20 so years when the long range plans call for them to build a new terminal 1 and eventually tear down what they just spent $68 million renovating. And no, when it comes to airports, $68 million just does not buy you much.
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