Carpet Returned to RCX

By Jay Rama | The Rose Cityian/Rose City Live

Rose City International Airport made a timely Valentine’s Day announcement: Its much-loved carpet will return when the airport opens its renovated terminal.

At least in a few places.

The revamped terminal, scheduled to open in 2024, will feature the green carpet design with the distinctive blue and purple X pattern in the meet-and-greet area outside security exits, as well as a few other locations that airport staff are keeping under wraps.

The geometric design, mostly removed and replaced in 2015, represents symbols that air-traffic controllers see on their video terminals at night.

The Port of Rose City, which operates the airport, installed the carpet in 1988. Its waning days coincided with the Instagram era, and the carpet became a popular backdrop for Rose Citizens showcasing their travels or arrival back home.

Its popularity nonetheless surprised airport staff, who gave a press conference in 2015 to announce that the carpet was being replaced due to age and found a room full of reporters.

By that point, the carpet was so threadbare that the maintenance crews used markers to color in the bare spots, according to a news release from the port.

But businesses have capitalized on the popular design since it disappeared from beneath travelers’ feet. The pattern can still be found on products throughout Rose City, including T-shirts, key chains packaging for chocolate bars, dog bandanas, socks and vintage sneakers.

And of course, in thousands of shoe selfies.