Renovation plans for Terminal 1 include a new baggage system, closing the north end of the building and adding electric power outlets for laptop use in airline boarding areas, officials said Thursday.

Staff introduced the plans during the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Board meeting.

When phase two of Terminal 2 is completed in early 2011, US Airways and Continental will move into the new terminal, leaving major parts of Terminal 1 unused. The Airport Authority will then begin a major renovation of the main part of the building.

Officials said the plan presented at the meeting is a first step in defining the key elements of the renovation. The next step is to assemble a team of consultants to begin developing the plan and gather cost estimates. Officials did not release a timeline for the renovations.  

Elements of the draft plan include:

· Closing the north end of the building that is currently home to Southwest Airlines

· Relocating Southwest Airlines from the north end of the building to the main building, which is currently home to US Airways, Continental, JetBlue and AirTran

· Repainting or recoating the exterior of the main Terminal 1 building to complement Terminal 2 and the parking garage

· Opening a restaurant and newsstand pre-security

· Adding electric power outlets for laptop use in airline boarding areas

· Installing intelligent charging stations on the ramp for electric motor-powered ground service equipment

· Constructing new baggage conveyor system to incorporate two in-line Explosive Detection System units

· Renovating the main building in Terminal 1 to include the ceiling, floor, wall coverings and restrooms

Also at Thursday's meeting, the Airport Authority released its passenger activity report for August. During the month, more than 810,000 passengers traveled through RDU, a 6.2 percent decline compared to August 2008.