Airport Architecture reveals a fast-tracked proposal that’s been shared with airlines to remake Washington Dulles, as part of the President’s push to reimagine the airport.
The plan would transform the main Eero Saarinen terminal plus awkward midfield concourses into a more conventional, high-capacity hub layout with linear concourses, underground connections, expanded airport train service, and the potential elimination of mobile lounges.
- Main terminal expansion and Concourse A work — $6.2 billion the plan keeps the Saarinen terminal, renovates ticketing, extends the building 300 feet in each direction. It would add a new terminal concourse, build an above-ground connector to the current A/B concourses, and renovate Concourse A. Target schedule: April 2027–December 2034.
- AeroTrain and underground connector — $3.75 billion the AeroTrain would be extended west from Concourse A toward a new Concourse D, with a new below-ground central conncetion from A through D. Dulles would move away from regular mobile lounges. Target schedule: January 2028–December 2033.
- Buildout of Concourse E, renamed Concourse C — $4 billion taking the existing 14-gate E project and mkaing it part of a much larger Concourse C buildout, including an AeroTrain station. Target schedule for later phases: start as soon as May 2026, finish by December 2030.
- New Concourse D east gates — $3.7 billion building the east side of a new Concourse D first, with west gates an eventual add-on when demand grows. Target schedule: June 2027–December 2033.
- Full Concourse B buildout plus demolition of the temporary C/D concourse — $2.26 billion the 1980s “temporary” C/D complex would finally go away, with a new Concourse B offering 33 regional aircraft gates. Target schedule: January 2028–December 2034.
International flights would use the new main terminal concourse and Concourse A, including United’s international operation. United would get Concourses B and C. Other domestic carriers would use Concourse D.
The cost adds up to about $20 billion, with financing and inflation bringing the current budget to $22 billion. Without significant federal subsidies, the cost per enplanement reaches an incredible $90.64 by 2035. In 2013, United found $26.47 impossible to manage. Funds have been transferred from Washington National to keep costs at Dulles in check and mollify United. No low cost carrier could ever serve Dulles. And only high yield flights would make any sense (limiting economies of scale and network effects of a hub.)
Trump administration discussions on the project have included Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and United CEO Scott Kirby. Kirby’s United has sponsored Trump’s inauguration and Duffy’s road trip reality show. He pitched Trump on acquiring American Airlines. Perhaps picking taxpayer pockets for their Dulles hub is the ultimate end game.
The airport authority board approved the updated Dulles master plan on July 16, 2025. DOT launched a Request for Information in December 2025 seeking concepts for new terminals and concourses. Renderings came back in January.
There’s no approval on the $22 billion. The airport authority and Department of Transportation have to settle on whether this is simply the 2025 master plan accelerated, a Trump-modified version, or a hybrid with federal funding or privatization (effectively selling off concessions revenue streams for developer cash). The Department of Transportation owns the airport property, while the airport authority operates it under a long-term lease that runs through 2100. And nothing is going to happen without United’s approval, unless Congress funds the full cost.
The plan makes sense in a world without resource constraints – eliminating the 40-year old temporary concourse and mobile lounges, replaced by a real rail-connected terminals. But there’s no world in which $90+ airport costs per passenger makes any sense. So this only happens with taxpayers footing much of the bill.
Move over, Disney. $20B is some real imagineering!
No wonder trump wants to get into fort Knox. Or has it been renamed FORT TRUMP?
Building an entirely new airport somewhere else would likely be cheaper.
I think they missed part of the teminal name. It should read “Trump-Epstein”.
@Denver Refugee
There is nowhere else that can accommodate an airport this size in the area. It sits on over 20 sq miles of very expensive northern Virginia land. By land area it’s beat only by DEN and DFW.
The next best alternative would be to expand the Manassas Regional Airport but even then the available land is minimal.
The real problem with Dulles is that they built the Silver Line as a traditional commuter rail when it should have been an express line to Tysons, Arlington, and downtown DC. Most of the areas around the little-used outer Metro stations is occupied by warehouses and data centers. It was built for commuting patterns that just no longer exist.
@Gary Leff — Ov vey? (I like ‘em.)
@L737 — As our resident IAD expert, what say ye??
Adam L – The Silver Line trains CAN be express trains. But they would eventually be behind ordinary Orange and Blue line trains at some point between East Falls Chuch and Downtown. Yes, designated express tracks could have been been build as part of the project, but that would have been expensive beyond the value derived.
As with most construction, cheaper to just start over.
Or get rid of the range restriction on National, and you could just knock down a concourse at Dulles. How many gate squatting flights between DCA and LGA do American and Delta really need.
@jfhscott
Oh for sure. But even eliminating the six lowest-ridership stations between Dulles and East Falls Church would make a huge difference in time savings compared to the current setup given the long distances involved.
I thought the dumbass in the White House was supposed to make stuff cheaper and better? Gosh…. who didn’t see this coming.
@Gary – Valid analysis and good information. What exactly would you suggest as a course of action? You always have an opinion and frankly it would be great to hear yours on this topic. I for one lack the knowledge to offer any support for the new plans or to offer viable alternatives.
The fact that no one blinks at spending $20B for an airport revamp is so nuts. As if that is what it remotely costs. The grift is insane.
@1990 — I’m in the minority that thinks it’s pretty much fine as is! $22B it does not need, just a walkable way to and from the C/D concourses please. I do agree that an express metro from high population areas would’ve been clutch.
@Gene
Most of Epstein’s closests friends and biggest pedos have all been outed as Democrats and leftists.
Also don’t forget that 40% ped0s are lgbt and 75% of people on the offender register are Democrats.
United wants to expand IAD in order to help relieve pressure on its EWR hub but UA will pay for the majority of the costs of building and operating this massively expensive airport.
UA is repeating the same expensive airport growth at other hub airports which just shows that UA’s growth and airport costs will be much more expensive than any other US airline.
@Gene – Ol’ Walter is apparently huffing the good stuff so facts or reality are unlikely to reach him. Just smile and tell him “Bless your heart.”.
No wonder there is so much animosity and hatred in this country. You can’t even go to the airport and enjoy a vacation without having some polarizing figures name rubbed in your face whether it be Trump or Harry Reid. Why do we allow this? We’ve given politicians way too much of our time, attention, and influence over us.
@Christian – the reason that midfield concourse has persisted since the 1980s is that it’s expensive to replace it. Rail is expensive. The existing train, even, was too expensive. Dulles was a marginal hub for United for many years and driving up the cost of the project was going to cost flights, and flights are the whole point.
I’m not an architect, I don’t have a better solution and nobody has been able to find one for decades. I’m confident that spending $20+ billion (and what will it cost by the time it’s actually done?) isn’t one. An airport construction project that costs $100 per passenger in fees just makes no sense. And asking taxpayers to subsidize this, redistributing from the median taxpayer to the wealthier traveler and corporate interests doesn’t either.
I guess I’d a totally different RFP that does a staged replacement for C/D on a value engineering basis.
When the train from main terminal to gates doesn’t work from hrs to days passengers get to their gate how
@L737 — No love for the AeroTrain??
@Christian, @Gene — Pretty sure @Walter Barry is stuck in a GRU (not the airport) troll farm.
@Mantis — No, starting over would not be less expensive, but it could be better. I would say, see the new LGA, but you’re based in Asia, so you probably won’t see it anytime soon…
Just do what the rest of the Loudoun/Western FFX is doing, sell off part of the land to build more data centers and tax them. Then increase tolls on 267 Dulles Toll Road to $25-50 during peak hours just like I66 EZ Pass. /s
It’d be better if they picked something and did things incrementally. As someone who frequents IAD 10x/yr, my preference would be expanding the rail and ending the hideous movers. United is already getting their new concourse; removing the “temporary” C/D concourses is a luxury at this point. And the main Saarinen terminal is fine as is. 3.75B is more palatable than 20B+.
The biggest issue which isn’t addressed is the long backups arrivals/departure lanes during peak traffic. The terminal is just too short for today’s usage, with not enough room for people getting in and out of cars.
More than an express train is a longer running system. You can’t use the Metro for an early departure on Sunday/holidays. I doubt it’s economical to run the entire system for the few people headed for early Dulles flights, but it is an obstacle. During weekdays, single track operation for track maintenance adds substantially to delays in an unpredictable manner. The trains also move slowly through work zones. That said, taking the metro during rush hour is much less stressful than driving.
The Metro now opening at 6am on weekends has bought another hour but I agree that the earliest flights are generally not possible for someone like me who prefers to metro there, particularly if you want to lounge it up beforehand. Also not worth the risk of a super late flight arriving in. Still, not looking back to when you had to take the bus from Wiele *shudders*. So it’s gotten a lot better.
Very subjective and depends where you live but in general as a local I’d much rather drive to Dulles via the toll road or 66/28 than to Reagan on 395 or the GW Parkway (especially with the construction going on) when there’s traffic.
@1990 — All love but prefer a good walk! Preferably with the PenFed song encouraging you along
“No low cost carrier could ever serve Dulles” – Bravo! At least one airport can keep the trailer trash out. Now can we do the same for ORD, SFO, and DFW?
@Alex – The gate squatting problem can easily be solved with common-use gates. It’s not rocket science.
As for the topic of the post… how many extravagant ballrooms will this Dulles project include?
Any branding with the initials DJT will not permit me to use this facility, full-stop, PERIOD!
“The Rebuild Plan Now Costs $22 Billion”, and while this is more than originally projected, this just a reflection of the inadequate original plans. These new plans will transform this airport into a nice airport that people who live nearby (like me) might choose over the alternatives, especially when flying internationally. I agree with Adam too about the Silver Line. Having experienced the Elizabeth Line in London to get from Heathrow to Stratford in 45 minutes, it’s all the more frustrating that the Silver Line takes 80 minutes when it’s only 4 miles further.
Why shut down the mobile lounges? If anything, they should keep these going and install mobile lounges at ATL and DEN for when the train goes down. Create something a little more Jetsons-adjacent than the lounges at IAD and start mobilizing them. And you can put at least four of them at ORD while you’re at it to handle transit to and from the Eighth Circle Of Hell known as Terminal 5.
@Barry Graham – “These new plans will transform this airport into a nice airport that people who live nearby (like me) might choose over the alternatives”
For $22 billion I should hope so!
@O’Hare Is My Second Home so flying should only be available to those willing to pay top dollar? Get out of here with that elitist bs.
@L737 — And, since there’s a C1 lounge at IAD, you most definitely will want to ‘lounge it up,’ each and every time! (Seriously, what is up with that PenFed tune blasting full-volume every time?! I hear.. they have.. great rates.. for.. every.. one…)
@1990 – LMAO at the “Not the airport”. Nicely done, sir.
@1990 — You got it! Key to not hating C/D is spending minimum time there by lounging it up until boarding is about to start — and matching your footsteps to the beat of the song as you traverse the walkway, bah!