FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 31, 2001
Contact: Teresa Damiano, Director, Customer Service & Organizational Support
Phone: (919) 840-2100, ext. 208
Pager: (919) 981-2135

RDU to open new terminal A South Concourse

RDU Airport, NC- A new concourse at RDU's Terminal A opens this weekend adding nearly 46,000-square feet of space and five aircraft gates to the existing 250,000-square-foot, 18-gate facility.

Continental and Northwest airline operations will move from the north end of Terminal A to the new, south concourse overnight on Saturday and will begin service from the new concourse on Sunday, June 3.

Construction on the 14-million dollar expansion began in the spring of 2000 to relieve overcrowded conditions in the main terminal. The concourse is an interim step in a master redevelopment of the terminal. Work on long-term redevelopment is expected to begin in four-to-five years. Plans call for Terminal A to be redeveloped to a multi-level, one-million-square-foot facility with 35 aircraft gates by the end of the decade..

A new, automated ticket counter area has been added to the lower end of Terminal A to support Continental's operations. The carrier has installed its Electronic Service Centers, which allows passengers to pick a seat, print a boarding pass, check baggage and answer security questions without speaking to an agent. Passengers only need to show a valid ID at their boarding gate. This service is being implemented throughout Continental's system at over 50 major airports nationwide.

Baggage claim areas for two carriers will change with the opening of the new concourse. Continental's baggage pick-up moves from Terminal A north bag claim to the main terminal baggage claim area. USAir customers will use the north baggage claim area instead of the main terminal carousels.

The move also provides Southwest, AirTran and Delta with additional gates. The concourse has several new features and concessions. Samuel Adams Pub, Orville and Wilbur's food and Press News will open in August. Until then, several kiosk vendors will provide food and retail services. The facility also includes a diaper changing station and a family restroom.

Since 1995, the airport has experienced a 76% growth in passengers, with approximately half of that traffic increase occurring in Terminal A. The main portion of Terminal A opened in 1982, was renovated in the early1990s, and a north concourse was added in 1998.

More than 10.4 million passengers traveled through RDU in 2000, ranking it as the fastest growing major airport in the country last year.