Trump announces a $22.5B makeover of Dulles airport that will eliminate the 'people movers'
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a $22.5 billion renovation of Washington Dulles International Airport that will end the use of the widely disliked “people movers,” the mobile lounges that have been used for decades to shuttle travelers to and from the main terminal.
In place of the people movers, the airport will add a new U-shaped passenger train, a central walking tunnel, more moving walkways and new concourses. An above-ground parking garage closer to the main terminal with space for 32,000 vehicles is also in the offing, according to Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
The airport makeover would add to a long list of renovation projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave a lasting mark on the Washington region after his term ends in January 2029. Among other undertakings, he is building a new White House ballroom and wants to build a towering triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial.
But of all the construction projects Trump is pursuing, the renovations at Dulles could prove to be his most popular and benefit the greatest number of people. The airport, the area’s primary international airport, served roughly 29 million passengers over the past year, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
“This transformation is another step in our ongoing efforts to make Washington, D.C., safe and beautiful again,” Trump said. “We’re doing something with Dulles that’s going to make it the top anywhere in the world.”
Trump, who used a laser pointer to explain the renovations displayed on renderings, said the “crazy distances” travelers must walk to get from place to place make Dulles “the worst airport.”
Congress would need to approve some aspects of the renovation plan, Trump said. Construction could start next spring, Duffy said. The plan does not call for expanding Dulles' runways or adding new ones.
Officials said the airlines and the airport authority that operates Dulles would pay for the project with municipal bonds, but they did not spell out how much of the cost might be passed on to travelers through higher fees or ticket prices when flying out of the airport.
John Potter, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates Dulles, said his agency, United Airlines and other airlines operating there have agreed “to fund this thing.” Dulles is one of United's hubs.
“So this is not requiring federal dollars,” Potter said at the Oval Office event. “This is going to be airport-generated dollars, airline contributions, which is phenomenal."
Dulles, located in northern Virginia, is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from downtown Washington. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is located in Arlington, Virginia, which is closer to downtown, making it popular with members of Congress and local residents.
The president, a former real estate developer, said in December that Dulles was “incorrectly designed.” He nonetheless praised Eero Saarinen, the Finnish-American architect and designer of the airport's main terminal. Trump and Duffy said the president reviewed presentations from about 30 architects before Trump settled on the redesign he announced Wednesday.
Even if the project is largely paid for by the airlines, industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said taxpayers might be asked to cover upgrades to the runways and safety measures as well as new customs and security facilities. The president of Atmosphere Research Group said he also wouldn't be surprised to see a passenger facility fee added eventually.
“I’m not taking the statement that they are not going to use taxpayer money at face value,” Harteveldt said.
The reason United and other airlines are willing to invest in Dulles, he said, is that they believe it will help them expand by adding more flights and passengers, boosting their revenue. But this could also contribute to higher ticket prices.
“United is going to try to charge as much for its tickets as it can. Other airlines will do the same,” Harteveldt said. “I think part of the statement that no tax money will be used could be something to placate the public right now.”
Designed by Chrysler Corp., the people movers shuttle passengers between the terminal and aircraft. The airport operates a fleet of 19 mobile lounges, each capable of carrying up to 102 passengers, according to its website.
When Dulles debuted, the airport touted the system as a major convenience. Passengers, it said, “had to walk only 200 feet once they entered the terminal until they were seated in a mobile lounge for the short trip directly to their aircraft,” a service it described as unique to Dulles.
But they have become one of passengers' least favorite aspects of transiting through Dulles, with travelers — and Trump — complaining that the system is outdated, balky and slow. At times, planes have to wait for a people mover to cross and vice versa, which slows operations at the airport.
One of the lounges crashed in November, sending 18 people to the hospital.
Dulles began a multibillion-dollar construction program in 2000 to begin to address future passenger demand. Major projects included two new parking garages, a fourth runway, a new concourse, a new Air Traffic Control tower, pedestrian walkways, and an airport train system, according to the airport authority’s website.
The airport authority says significant modernization work is already underway at Dulles. Later this year, the first segment of the new Concourse E will open with 14 additional United gates that will help the airline expand its international network, provide direct access to the airport’s AeroTrain system and debut new and enhanced concessions options and passenger lounges.
___
Associated Press writers Rio Yamat in Las Vegas and Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.
© Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
