Virginia's busiest international airport is set for a sweeping transformation under a new $22.5 billion plan announced last week, that promises new terminals, expanded flight capacity, faster security, improved baggage handling and the eventual retirement of some of the airport's oldest facilities, said media reports.
The announcement is the latest in a series of major projects he has announced in and around the US capital.President Donald Trump unveiled the mega plan to rebuild Washington Dulles airport by replacing concourses and adding a large parking garage while preserving the landmark main terminal, reported Reuters."It's considered one of the worst airports anywhere in the world, we're going to make it maybe the best with some hard work," Trump said, arguing it was time "for a major and long overdue renovation and reconstruction of Washington's really horribly-thought of Dulles."Trump, who was joined by United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at the White House, has been pushing for an overhaul of the airport that is the main international gateway for the national capital region. The plan includes 5 million sq ft of new or renovated airport space. Duffy in May confirmed the federal government planned a $22 billion overhaul of Dulles, said the report.The plan, one of the largest US airport overhauls ever proposed, will be funded through municipal bonds but raises questions about what it will mean for the cost of flights. The airport authority had already approved a separate $7 billion capital plan for Dulles.
Despite the criticism, Dulles was the fastest-growing large US airport last year by passenger traffic. The airport had a record year in 2025, handling 29 million total passengers, up 6.4%. The project will see construction teams replace concourses, add gates and remove the people movers, replacing them with a U-shaped train system, reported the Construction Dive citing Duffy. No contractor was named in the announcement, stated the report. The USDOT, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and United Airlines will collectively oversee the project, according to the announcement. The $22.5 billion figure is an increase from the previous sum of $7 billion for the Dulles modernisation programme, it added.