Trump to announce plans for Dulles Airport makeover - NBC News

What the report says

NBC News reported that President Donald Trump announced a major redevelopment plan for Washington Dulles International Airport on Wednesday at the Oval Office, calling for new concourses, renovated facilities and the elimination of the airport’s aging “people movers.” The airport, located in Northern Virginia outside Washington, D.C., would gain more than 5 million square feet of new or upgraded space while keeping the original terminal designed by Eero Saarinen.

According to NBC, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the project would replace the mobile lounge system with a faster “horseshoe” rail system. Trump also described plans for a multistory parking garage with 32,000 spaces. Duffy said the redevelopment would be financed through bonds, with United Airlines and other participating airlines contributing, rather than through federal funding; he put the cost at about $22 billion to $22.5 billion. United said the work would include modern concourses, expanded terminal space and upgraded ticketing and boarding areas.

The timeline was less clear. Duffy said some permitting remains and that officials hope work can start by next spring. Trump said he wanted completion within two years, while the Transportation Department said the work would happen in phases over several years, and United described a transformation over the next decade.

NBC also noted mixed traveler reaction at Dulles, with several passengers criticizing the mobile lounges while saying the airport otherwise has advantages. The announcement fits into Trump’s broader interest in high-profile construction and renovation projects in Washington during his second term, and follows earlier administration interest in Dulles, including discussions reported by NBC about potentially renaming the airport.