President Donald Trump said Tuesday that his administration plans to “rebuild” Washington Dulles International Airport, describing the 62-year-old facility as “terrible” and pointing to recent incidents involving its mobile lounges as evidence that major upgrades are needed.
Trump made the remarks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, where he criticized the airport’s layout.
“It was incorrectly designed with a good building. Actually, it’s got a beautiful terminal… one of the greatest architects in the world at the time. And so they have a great building and a bad airport, but we’re gonna turn that around.”
Dulles’ main terminal, designed by architect Eero Saarinen, opened in 1962 and remains one of the most recognizable pieces of mid-century airport architecture. Saarinen’s structure was intended to support a modern passenger experience built around the airport’s distinctive mobile lounge system.
The mobile lounges — developed by the Budd Company and introduced when Dulles opened — were designed to transport passengers directly between the terminal and aircraft parked on midfield ramps. At the time, they were viewed as a way to reduce long walking distances and avoid the need for multiple concourses.
Although Dulles later added an underground train system and traditional concourses, a fleet of mobile lounges and “plane mates” remains in use for international flights and transport between terminals.
The president said his administration has a plan to overhaul the airport’s design and infrastructure. “We’re gonna make Dulles Airport serving Washington and Virginia, Maryland, etcetera… into something really spectacular,” Trump said.
Dulles is located roughly 30 miles from downtown Washington, D.C.
Mobile Lounge Criticism
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also referenced a recent crash involving Dulles’ mobile lounges that injured 18 people and said the Department of Transportation plans to begin soliciting bids for related improvements.
“We had a crash recently,” Duffy said. “We’re gonna announce later today the request for bids on this. But again, it’s not a great airport, which we can make great in this administration.”
Trump reiterated that Dulles’ modernization will be a priority. “It was a badly designed airport,” he said. “We’re gonna make it into as good as there is in the country.”
Trump’s pick for the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority (MWAA) board, Trent Morse, has also vowed to phase out the mobile lounge during a recent Senate hearing. MWAA operates both Reagan and Dulles airports.
