RDU airport is building two new bathrooms for a special group of travelers
Raleigh-Durham International Airport will soon begin building places inside its passenger terminals where pets can discreetly relieve themselves.
By next summer, RDU will have two of what’s known in the airport business as Service Animal Relief Areas or SARAs, one in each terminal.
RDU already has designated areas outside both terminals where service animals can pee or poop. But the Federal Aviation Administration wants commercial airports to also have them inside, beyond the security checkpoints and close to the gates. The FAA wants to improve conditions for passengers with disabilities, though SARAs are open to non-service animals as well.
The FAA requires the rooms be wheelchair accessible, have water and a place for poop bags and room for a dog on a five-foot leash.
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They also must have a “three-dimensional prop,” something a dog might lift a leg on. Many airports stick with a classic faux red fire hydrant. The prop in RDU’s pet bathrooms has not been chosen yet, according to a spokeswoman.
Just like human bathrooms, the SARAs will be shielded from public view. Inside, they’ll have an epoxy-type floor that’s easy to clean and terrazzo tile walls, said Jaymes Carter, RDU’s vice president of building and building systems.
“So if necessary, if we need to go in and hose down the entire space, we can do that and all the finishes will be durable,” he said.
The SARAs will go in currently vacant spaces next to Gate C7 in Terminal 2, near the getREEF Virtual Food Hall, and by Gate A7 in Terminal 1, next to Starbucks. The SARA in Terminal 2 will have room for two people and their pets to use at a time, more than twice as large as the one in the smaller Terminal 1.
Specially trained dogs are the only animals recognized as service animals for those with disabilities under federal law and must be accommodated in airline cabins. Other animals, including any type of emotional support animal, are considered pets, and airlines have varying policies and fees for them.
The Airport Authority’s governing board approved a $667,443 contract with Right Build International to construct the SARAs. They should be substantially completed in June.
People who use the special restrooms will be expected to clean up after their pets, but airport staff will keep an eye on them, Carter said.
“We don’t believe it will be a high-traffic area,” he said. “But it is something that can be maintained easily and checked-upon frequently.”
