Drupal Web Development for Major Airport

Raleigh-Durham Airport

Overview

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) sought to modernize its digital presence by creating a more accessible and user-friendly website. To achieve this, RDU partnered with Atlantic BT for a comprehensive Drupal web development project, emphasizing mobile responsiveness and accessibility for diverse user groups. The goal was to deliver an enhanced user experience for travelers, businesses, and job seekers alike, while aligning the new design with RDU’s Vision 2040. Atlantic BT employed a structured approach, including stakeholder interviews, usability testing, and accessibility audits, to ensure that the final website would meet the needs of all users and showcase a fresh, modern look through its Drupal web development framework.

Project Type

Custom Website

Technology

Drupal

Industry

B2C

Company Overview

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU is North Carolina’s second-largest airport, following Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and serves as an operating base for Avelo Airlines and a key hub for Delta Air Lines. As of 2024, RDU provides nonstop passenger flights to 59 domestic locations and 10 international destinations, with an average of over 500 aircraft movements each day. The RDU Airport Authority manages the airport’s facilities and operations, under the governance of a board composed of representatives from Wake and Durham counties, as well as the cities of Raleigh and Durham.

Before and After of Drupal Web Development work

The Ask

RDU aimed to create a website that is accessible to a diverse range of users, including individuals with disabilities, women and minorities, non-English speaking travelers, and businesses interested in procurement opportunities. To do this, improving mobile experience was a top priority since 70% of users access the website via mobile devices. They wanted a clear separation of Airport Authority Information from passenger information and a revamped career page to recruit new team members to the authority. RDU contacted Atlantic BT for all of their Drupal web development needs.

Our Custom Drupal Web Development Process

Discovery

During the discovery phase, Atlantic BT conducted stakeholder interviews to fully understand the businesses’ needs and pain points. Afterwards, we moderated usability tests on the current website to help pinpoint user needs and behaviors for the new design. Next we reviewed the website for accessibility errors to avoid on the next iteration and created a diverse set of user personas to help guide the design process. With all of the information gathered, we reorganized the site structure to accommodate two sections for two distinct user groups: Airport Authority users and passengers.

Development

The development of the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) website focused on leveraging the scalability and flexibility of Drupal 10 to create a modern and robust digital platform. Key efforts included migrating the existing WordPress site to Drupal, seamlessly integrating content and functionality, and adding support for over 20 languages to serve a global audience. To meet RDU’s expanding digital needs, we modernized the infrastructure using AWS services like Amazon RDS, SES, and S3 for scalable database management, reliable email communication, and secure storage. We created custom paragraphs to allow content creators to efficiently build and manage landing pages, ensuring consistency in design and flexibility in content presentation.

Dynamic content and user experience were enhanced using Drupal Views to streamline access to vital information like blogs, parking, and store hours, while new features like a mobile-responsive terminal directory and an updated non-stop flights map improved usability. Additionally, we implemented a flexible alert system for RDU staff to quickly communicate critical updates, alongside ad space integration to create revenue opportunities.

Design

Debuting a new rebrand with the Drupal web development, Atlantic BT set out to showcase a new, modern look, while also adhering to accessibility standards. Through a collaborative process of wireframing and concept boards, we ensured our designs aligned with RDU’s Vision 2040 , and the rollout of the new branding was successful. When designing the website mockups, Atlantic BT did extensive research on competitors, making sure to come up with a top tier site that was both modern and functional for every type of user.

Delight

By the end of the Drupal web development project, Atlantic BT delivered RDU, a rebranded, refreshed website with more accessible and user-friendly capabilities and an easy-to-navigate structure. We redesigned the entire airport directory experience to be easier to navigate on a mobile device for on-the-go-passengers. We also created a microsite to house all Airport Authority content so distinct user groups could find what they need quicker. With a rigorous focus on code quality and user experience, the result is a fully functional, scalable Drupal 10 website tailored to meet RDU’s current and future needs.