A Terminal's Demise at RDU

I flew through Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) last week. I've flown through the airport since 2002, using Terminal 1 on the majority of my flights. Terminal 2 used to be the secondary terminal at RDU, but recent renovations have made it the much better looking terminal. Terminal 2, with its sweeping wooden arch roof and glass exterior is now the home to the legacy airlines at RDU. Delta, Continental, United, U.S. Airways, etc. used to be housed in Terminal 1, but now call Terminal 2 home.

Left behind at Terminal 1 are all the low-cost carriers (LCCs): Southwest, AirTran, and JetBlue. As low-cost carriers, their business model doesn't necessitate having a flashy new terminal, and the cramped corridors of Terminal 1 which once housed legacy airlines, is perfectly suitable for the LCCs. The three LCCs can't possibly fill up all the gates which once bustled before, so Terminal 1 is now being operated below capacity. As seen in the photos below, Terminal 1 is a haunting shell of what it once was. The check-in counters are almost all boarded up, the gate areas are almost all boarded up, and the hallways are mostly void of life. The airside departure hallway is lined with potted plants, a last ditch attempt to make the terminal seem cared for. The gate areas have art which looks like it was bought at a garage sale, not the interesting posters advertising foreign destinations that the legacy airlines used to hang. Only one restaurant and a couple of shops seemed to be in business. It was incredible to see such a change to the terminal which one was RDU's main building.

LCC terminal buildings have been built in foreign cities to cater solely to the LCCs which have seen strong growth in their respective regions, such as in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. These terminals were purposely built as giant simple structures, with minimal amenities for passengers, but look decent and well-kept because their design was purposeful. Outdated U.S. terminals will likely become similar structures for American LCCs, a good re-purposing of the less attractive terminal space, such as at RDU. One can imagine unused terminal space at U.S. airports which have lost hub status over time (Pittsburgh due to U.S. Airways, St. Louis due to American Airlines), can evolve their older terminal space for their LCC traffic, and reserve the newer gates for the legacy airlines. In doing so, non-hub airports will redefine their position in the U.S. air network.