A $22.5 billion effort directed by the White House will preserve Washington Dulles’ historic terminal, rebuild concourses C and D, and do away with the facility’s long-disparaged “people movers,” President Donald Trump said Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump doubled down on his criticism of the airport, calling it “horribly thought out,” but said the Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority now have the opportunity to transform it into the nation’s “premier” gateway.
“It’s one of the world’s worst airports, and we’re going to make it maybe one of the best, with some hard work,” he said.
Trump’s overhaul of Dulles has been in the works since late last year, when the Transportation Department began soliciting ideas for renovations from private contractors. The president said he picked elements he liked best from each of the proposals and combined them into one plan.
He did not name the architectural or engineering firms involved in the process.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the terminal, designed in the early 1960s by Eero Saarinen, will be preserved, while concourses C and D will be completely rebuilt. The people movers, which he mocked as something out of Star Wars, will be replaced by a “horseshoe”-style AeroTrain extension, he said. A short distance from the airport, crews will build a 32,000-space, mostly above-ground parking garage, which will be among the largest garages in the world. New walking paths, check-in spaces, and seating areas will improve traffic flow and traveler comfort, the secretary added.
Trump also said that the airport will get a new hotel and space for a large United Polaris lounge. United, the largest airline at Dulles, is working with the DOT and MWAA on the overhaul.
Renovation work is expected to start in the spring of 2027. The project should be completed in about two years, Duffy said.
“President Trump’s work to make D.C. safe and beautiful has already reshaped our nation’s capital for the better,” he said in a statement released after the press conference. “But to truly achieve this vision, we need to build an international gateway that is worthy of the greatest country on earth. By partnering with United Airlines and MWAA, we will create a world class airport filled with stunning architecture, gorgeous concourses, efficient security screenings, additional gates, and improved mobility – all while preserving Dulles’ iconic primary terminal.”
The current plan is to bond the $22.5 billion, and have the entire project paid for over time by the airlines that use Dulles. An exact breakdown of potential contributions by airline was not available.
MWAA President John Potter, who appeared alongside the president, said no federal taxpayer funds will be used.
United CEO Scott Kirby was also in attendance as the plan was unveiled, and told reporters that it marks a significant step forward for both the carrier and the country.
“I’ve spent my whole career at United waiting for this day,” Kirby said. “It’s something that everyone at United, and every American, can feel proud of.”
