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From the Chairman Happy Anniversary, Raleigh-Durham International Airport! On May 1, 1943, RDU began providing commercial airline service to the Triangle. Sixty years later, RDU remains an integral part of the community and the region. As the airport celebrates this milestone, we invite the entire Triangle community to join us in commemorating the airport’s history while turning our attention to the next phase of growth at RDU. The future of RDU is rooted in longrange planning completed years ago. Preparing for the airport’s growth has been a priority of the Authority for over 40 years. Planning remains an important part of RDU’s growth and the airport is currently working on projects for the next era of development. Over the years, there has been no group more involved in the growth of RDU than the airport’s employees. These individuals have worked diligently to improve and expand the services provided to our passengers and employees. The airport is a dynamic
environment that requires an active and dedicated staff. The Authority thanks all its employees for their hard work and dedication to making RDU the best airport in the world.
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As changes occur at RDU, providing passengers with up-to-date information is critical. The Authority recently launched a new and improved web site at www.rdu.com featuring information on flights and parking, answers to frequently asked questions, updates on changes at the airport and tips to make your travel experience hassle-free.
RDU Reflects on the Past, Present and Future .........2/3
The future of RDU is on the horizon as we celebrate 60 years of service that have brought us into the 21st century. The Triangle community remains part of the RDU family and we thank you for your continued support. See you this summer at RDU!
Your Guide to the Airfield at RDU ...................5
David T. Clancy, Chairman Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority
Discover What’s New at RDU .......................4 The Tough Questions..........4
Coming Soon to RDU .........6
RDUUPDATE John C. Brantley Airport Director Karen T. Dunton Communications Specialist, Editor Mindy Hamlin Communications Manager RDU Update is published every other month by the RDU Airport Authority for its corporate and community partners and air travelers. Suggestions and comments should be sent to: Karen T. Dunton, Editor Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority P.O. Box 80001 RDU Airport, North Carolina 27623 USA Phone: (919) 840-2100 Fax (919) 840-0175 Email: karen.dunton@rdu.com
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With three major airlines operating at RDU in the '60s, planning for growth was an integral part of the airport's future.
RDU in the 1960s: Planning for Growth
Over the years, several development plans were suggested for RDU including a terminal complex and an expanded runway near Umstead State Park.
Following the building of the first passenger terminal at RDU in 1955, the airport entered the ‘60s with a focus on growth. An expansion program was launched in the spring of 1960 to accommodate larger planes and increased passenger traffic. RDU’s longest existing runway was extended from 5,500 feet to its current length of 7,500 feet.
With growth and development serving as an integral part of RDU’s future, the Authority began to secure funding for its expansion. In November of 1968, however, voters turned down a proposed $20 million bond issue for a new runway and passenger terminal due to the project’s proximity to Umstead State Park.
Before additional expansion could occur, the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority created the first long-range planning program for the airport in 1962. This plan focused on runway expansion and construction, while also turning the airport’s attention to the development of a terminal complex.
The Authority began work on an alternate long-range plan that would
While planning for the future, RDU welcomed jet service, provided by Eastern Airlines, on April 25, 1965. This latest advancement in aviation created the need for a runway pavement-strengthening program that began in 1966. Also of note in 1965 was the opening of the Triangle Inn at the airport. This 126room motel offered passengers a place to stay close to RDU.
address the new runway and terminal building needs of a growing RDU. In the years to come, the Authority would create a master plan that would plan for future growth at RDU for the next 20 years. What happens at RDU in the 1970s? Look for the July/August issue of RDU Update to find out more about the history of RDU!
The expansion of RDU was a necessity as the community grew and more people gathered at the airport to enjoy the wonder of flight.
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RDU Reflects on the Past, Pre Over the past 60 years, RDU has grown into a regional airport serving nearly 8.5 million passengers a year. Throughout the airport’s constant change and development, employees have remained dedicated to the community and the aviation industry. As a result of growth at the airport and in the region, the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority, airlines and
Fond Memories of RDU When Kennie Hinton joined the RDU family as a receptionist in 1976, the airport was “a small country airport where you picked up your baggage under an outdoor canopy.” Since that time, RDU has grown into a regional airport connecting passengers from North Carolina and the surrounding states to 38 cities across the country and the globe. At the same time, Hinton’s career has grown following a promotion to the position of accounting assistant and she has moved from the typewriter into the computer age.
other businesses have increased the number of employees working at the airport. In 1958, RDU employed approximately 100 people and today that number has grown to nearly 4,000 employees airport-wide. The Authority’s staff currently includes 247 full-time positions with jobs ranging from accountant to firefighter. serving in the armed forces,” says Hairston. In August of 1991, RDU hosted a community air show that included military and commercial airplane exhibits, activities and refreshments. Over the next seven years, the air show grew to include vintage airplanes and aerobatic teams. For Michelle Cooley, an employee in the maintenance department, the air shows are a source of fond memories. “I enjoyed watching the smiles on the kid’s faces as they ran in and out of the planes and helicopters,” says Cooley.
For Hinton, the most memorable times at RDU have been during the construction of new terminals. “The new buildings were always discussed, but I never imagined I would witness the construction of both Terminal A and the American Airlines hub.” Authority employees share many fond memories of growth and activity at RDU over the years. When Ingrid Hairston began working at the airport in 1991, the country was involved in conflict in the Middle East. “The end of the war marked a time in RDU history when the Authority wanted to salute the men and women
Today, RDU employs approximately 5,000 individuals from the surrounding community.
Soaring Ahead
Several RDU employees remember the construction of Terminal A.
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The airport has worked with the community over the years to provide improved service and a pleasant traveling experience. In January of this year, Melanie Nye, ground transportation coordinator, was instrumental in launching Raleigh-Durham Airport Taxi Service. This new program provides passengers with timely and professional taxi service to and from RDU. Having joined the Authority in 2000, Nye has witnessed great changes at RDU in a short period of time. “No two days are alike, and every day is an adventure,” says Nye.
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sent and Future Whether improving passenger services or assisting in the daily operation of the airport, RDU employees share a common respect and admiration for the various jobs at the airport. “My fondest memories of RDU are the individuals I have had the pleasure of working with over the years,” says Warren Creech, visitor services manager. Before joining the Authority, Creech, like many of his co-workers, worked for an airline at RDU.
Throughout the 60-year history of RDU, the community has gathered on several occasions to celebrate growth at the airport. The opening of the first passenger terminal in 1955 attracted a crowd of 5,000 people from around the region.
All commercial flights operated out of RDU's first passenger terminal until 1982 when Terminal A opened.
Children of all ages enjoyed air shows at RDU in the '90s.
Welcoming You to RDU A new face to the RDU team last year was Jeffrey Slayton. Having worked for an airline at RDU for many years, Slayton joined the Authority as a parking administration manager in 2002. “Since beginning work at RDU in 1995, I have seen many changes at the airport,” says Slayton. “Today, RDU has grown into a busy airport and thanks to the employees it has remained a friendly and accommodating environment.”
Since then, crowds have joined RDU in celebrating the arrival of jet service in 1965, the opening of new terminals in 1982 and 1987 and the launch of international service at RDU in 1988. Please join RDU in celebrating 60 years of service to the Triangle community on May 1, 2003.
RDU welcomed jet service on April 26, 1965.
One person who helps to make the RDU environment welcoming for passengers is Lieutenant Melvin Vinson of the RDU police department. Vinson joined the airport in the early ‘80s as the airport was beginning a period of tremendous growth. “When I began working at RDU, we were a small community airport with lots of potential,” says Vinson. During the ‘80s and ‘90s, RDU welcomed eight new airlines, began serving the international community and saw the construction of two new terminals. Today, RDU remains rooted in the community and the airport’s potential continues to be realized every day. Employees of the Authority have witnessed great changes at RDU over the years. The celebration of RDU’s 60th anniversary is a time when all staff members can reflect on how far the airport has come and turn their attention toward the next phase of growth at RDU.
Celebrate 60 years of flight at RDU!
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Discover What’s New at RDU Do you need information about parking at RDU? Are you wondering how early to arrive at the airport for your flight? Log on to www.rdu.com and discover what’s new at RDU! In March, the airport launched a new version of www.rdu.com to better communicate with passengers, visitors and the surrounding region. The site includes improved navigation that allows users to easily locate the latest information on airlines, parking, passenger services and much more. In addition, the new site utilizes bright colors and a variety of photographs and graphics. “The revised web site is visually appealing,” says Tammy Hogan, webmaster for the Authority. This visual appeal begins on the home page, which uses graphics of the airport environment, and continues throughout the site. Each page features a
Editorial
The Tough Questions
photo collage representing various services and locations at RDU. The key to the new site is a straightforward and userfriendly navigational structure. The site also features a keyword search, new site map and frequently asked questions section. The customer feedback forms have also been updated. “The new customer feedback forms have been revised to be more userfriendly and easier to locate,” says Hogan. The airport first began providing information on the Internet in 1997 with the launch of www.rdu.com. With the new version of the site up and running, RDU will continue to update all information regarding the airport and passengers services on a daily basis. In the coming months, look for a new “RDU for Kids” section, details about RDU’s 60th anniversary celebration and additional airport information.
On December 17, 2003, the world will mark the centennial anniversary of powered flight. Twenty-five years after the Wright Brothers’ historic flight, the U.S. airline industry was born. And 75 years later, this industry transported 600 million passengers. For the first 50 years of operation, the U.S. airline industry’s economics were regulated by the federal government. Airlines were only allowed to fly between airports where they were certified to provide service, and they could only charge fares approved by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). When costs increased, airlines would ask the CAB for permission to increase fares. These changes were usually approved, especially as many markets did not have competitive service.
John Brantley RDU Airport Director The past few years have brought great change to the aviation industry. These changes have prompted a variety of questions. John Brantley provides insight into the industry’s past and present while posing several important, and still unanswerable, questions about its future.
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The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 changed all of that. Economic, but not flight safety, regulations ended. Within the U.S., the airlines could fly wherever they desired and could charge whatever traffic would allow. Competition became fierce, the number of airlines and service expanded rapidly, and growing communities like the Triangle finally gained air service directly related to their ability to support it. One thing did not change. The older airlines’ operating costs, particularly the labor component, were high. Competition put a downward pressure on fares while an inflationary
economy combined with management’s fears surrounding labor contracts applied continued upward pressure on costs. Different strategies to reduce costs were tried, usually by trying to spread them over a broader base created during periods of expansion. This only postponed the day of reckoning. Today, the airline industry finds itself in a position first experienced in the years following the 1991 Gulf War — but much worse. The industry’s losses throughout its history have considerably exceeded cumulative profits. The decline in business travel that began in late 2000 and the continuing economic stagnation have combined to depress actual dollar fares to levels not seen since the mid-1980s. Costs have not been shed nearly as fast as revenues have fallen. Two major airlines are in bankruptcy, and it is likely that several more will follow that path. Only a few companies are profitable, and those marginally so. The industry as a whole is in trouble. Where is this situation going to take us? Will conflicts in the world continue to suppress air travel for an extended period of time? Will the new security measures and resulting increase in travel time affect the perceived value of flying? Will airline employees provide the same level of service for lower wages? What will the future bring? Unfortunately, there are many questions about the future and few credible answers.
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Your Guide to the Airfield at RDU Much like a series of highways and roads, the airfield at RDU connects airplanes with their final destination. Whether this is a gate in the terminal or a runway for takeoff, when airplanes travel around RDU there are a series of directional signs and lighting systems that guide them. These signs and structures are all part of the airport's airfield that you can view from your airplane window.
The Right of Way Directional signs located on the airfield guide movement and assist pilots in identifying their location. The signs vary in color and style depending on their placement and purpose. Unlike street signs, the signs along the airfield are merely guides. Before an airplane can move around the airfield, The airfield includes any location where airplanes operate.
Lighting Up the Night When landing at night, airplanes depend upon a system of lights along the airfield for location and alignment. The color of these lights allow pilots to identify the different areas of the airfield and navigate to and from the terminals. Runways are edged with white lights while taxiways use blue lights. The runways also include approach lights that identify the beginning and end of each runway.
Lighting systems aid pilots during landing and takeoff.
Sending Out a Signal Surrounding the airfield is navigational equipment used by pilots and the air traffic control tower. The white structure that resembles a large bowling pin is a navigational aid that omits a signal at every point on the compass. This omni-directional signal provides pilots with a direct route to and from RDU and allows them to determine how far they are from the airport. Radar equipment, also located on the airfield, provides a sweep of the surrounding airspace and allows air traffic This navigational aid controllers to view the location of helps pilots locate RDU. all airplanes within the area.
Cleared for Takeoff
Directional signs aid pilots while maneuvering on the airfield.
it must receive clearance and direction from the air traffic control tower.
With the help of directional signs, lighting systems and, of course, the air traffic control tower, airplanes are able to navigate the airfield at RDU.
At RDU, there are 11 taxiways and three operational runways. The runways at RDU include 5R-23L, 5L-23R and 14-32. All runways are identified by their location on the compass. The two main runways at the airport are located at 50 degrees and 230 degrees. Parallel runways are also identified by “left” and “right” designations.
Airplanes wait for clearance from the tower before navigating the airfield.
Weather station and radar equipment are located on the airfield.
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V i s i t R D U ’s W e b s i t e a t w w w. r d u . c o m PRSRT STD U.S. Postage
PAID Raleigh, N.C. Permit No. 1947 Communications Department Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority P.O. Box 80001 RDU Airport, NC 27623 www.rdu.com (919) 840-2100 / (919) 840-0175 fax
Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Members David T. Clancy, Chairman, City of Raleigh W. Stephens Toler, Vice Chairman, Durham County Robert D. Teer, Jr., Treasurer, City of Durham Stephen K. Zaytoun, Secretary, Wake County Kenneth D. Gibbs, Sr., City of Durham Craigie D. Sanders, Durham County Michael Weeks, Wake County Robert W. Winston, City of Raleigh