United and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority unveiled Washington Dulles International Airport’s first new concourse in nearly two decades on Monday. Concourse E opens to passengers Nov. 10, giving United 14 new gates at a hub where its departures have risen 30% since 2022.
The 435,000-square-foot concourse connects directly to the airport’s AeroTrain and has jet bridges at every gate. It can handle both domestic and international flights. The airports authority said existing gates were already fully in use several times a day, with passengers crowding waiting areas and concessions during peak periods.
The concourse also houses United’s second-largest United Club. The nearly 40,000-square-foot lounge seats more than 600 people and increases the airline’s total lounge space at Dulles by about 70%. New concessions include local businesses such as Good Company Doughnuts & Café and Honor Brewing.
“Washington Dulles is a critical part of United’s global network and growth strategy,” United CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement. The carrier currently offers more than 250 daily flights from Dulles to 135 destinations.
United has added six international destinations from the airport this year. It plans to begin international Airbus A321XLR service from Dulles in December with flights to Amsterdam and Dublin, followed by new service to Toulouse, France, and Milan in 2027.
Concourse E is the first phase of the broader Dulles Global Gateway program, which United and the airports authority estimate will involve more than $20 billion in investment. Later work is expected to add gates, expand the main terminal, and build a new U.S. Customs facility. The program also calls for extending the AeroTrain so the airport can eventually retire its mobile lounges.
