Airport Authority Board Approves Budget, Major Contracts for Parking Revenue Control and Concessions

RDU Airport, N.C. – RDU is preparing for takeoff! Today, the Airport Authority board approved several contracts at their monthly meeting today that will greatly enhance the experience for customers traveling through Raleigh-Durham International Airport. 

Parking and Revenue Control System Implementation

The board awarded a $4.8 million contract to Sentry Control Systems for parking and revenue control systems (PARCS) replacement and implementation. With the new contract, the Airport Authority will decommission the current PARCS system and install new hardware and software, including entry and exit lane devices and parking management software.

“To improve the parking experience at RDU, we took a step back last year to reevaluate our parking systems,” said Airport Authority President and CEO Michael Landguth. “After extensive research, we have found an exceptional partner to help us move forward with confidence; using new technology and systems to deliver better, more reliable services to our customers.”

As part of the contract, Sentry Control Systems will facilitate the integration of the Airport Authority’s PARCS system with the online booking system. A schedule for implementation is currently in development.

In a separate contract, the Airport Authority Board approved a $150,795 contract with Lumin Advisors to provide technical oversight services during the PARCS replacement process. 

Terminal 2 Retail Concessions Refresh

The Airport Authority board also approved four retail packages that will refresh the retail experience for customers in Terminal 2. Upon completion, 15 new stores featuring both local and national products will operate in the terminal.

“We’re enhancing the retail shopping experience for our customers and giving them more reasons to start their trip early at the airport,” said Landguth. “We listened closely to our customers, to design a retail program that is customized to their preferences. The new offerings are tailored especially to our local tastes and are a direct result of our focus group discoveries.”

This is the first refresh of concessions since Terminal 2 opened in 2008. The program will be implemented in phases beginning in Fall 2017. All new stores are scheduled to be open by Summer 2018.

Learn more about the new retail Shops of RDU.

 

Airport Authority Budget

Also during their meeting today, the Airport Authority approved a $73.6 million operating expense budget for the Airport Authority for the 2017-18 fiscal year.  The priorities for the upcoming year include: initiating Vision 2040 projects, adding critical staff (safety/security/ information systems/ maintenance/ operations) and maintaining our beautiful airport terminals.

 

About the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority

The Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority and its 300+ strong workforce operates and manages Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the primary air travel gateway to central North Carolina. The airport serves more than 11 million passengers each year, averaging more than 30,000 customers every day and is home to more than 5,000 employees. RDU contributes more than $8.5 billion and 20,000 jobs to the region’s economy each year. RDU has the lowest average airfare among commercial airports in North Carolina (compared to NC commercial airports with more than 250,000 enplanements annually). The Airport Authority has won the Triangle Business Journal’s Heathiest Employer of the Triangle for the past three years straight. For more information about RDU, visit rdu.com or follow the airport @RDUAirport on Twitter.

 

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