US President Donald Trump has announced plans for a major $22bn (£16.5bn) redevelopment of Washington Dulles International Airport, including new passenger concourses and a large
parking facility.
The project will preserve the airport's distinctive main terminal, designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, while adding or renovating about 5 million sq ft (465,000 sq m) of airport space.
Speaking at the White House alongside United Airlines chief executive Scott Kirby and US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Mr Trump described Dulles as one of the world's worst airports and said the redevelopment was long overdue.
"We're going to make it maybe the best with some hard work," he said.
The proposed redevelopment is one of the largest airport construction projects ever put forward in the US. Mr Duffy had previously confirmed that the federal government was planning a $22bn overhaul of the airport.
The project is expected to be financed largely through municipal bonds, although some elements could involve public-private partnerships. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates Dulles, will work with airlines to finance new concourses and terminal facilities.
The scale of the plans has raised questions about whether the cost could eventually affect air fares and airport charges. The authority had already approved a separate $7bn capital programme for Dulles.
Growing passenger numbers
Despite criticism over its facilities, Dulles has experienced strong passenger growth.
The airport handled a record 29 million passengers in 2025, an increase of 6.4% from the previous year, making it the fastest-growing large US airport by passenger traffic.
A new 435,000 sq ft concourse with 14 gates is due to open this autumn, primarily serving United Airlines passengers.
United is Dulles's largest airline, accounting for about 70% of passenger traffic.
Mr Duffy said the redevelopment would also address one of the airport's most frequently criticised features: the vehicles used to transport passengers across the airport's large airfield.
Those vehicles will be phased out under the proposed plans.
The US Department of Transportation criticised the airport last December, pointing to issues including a "jet fuel smell in the concourses" and what it described as a limited number of gates in the main terminal.
Saarinen terminal to remain
Dulles opened in 1962 and is located about 25 miles (40km) west of Washington DC.
Its main terminal is considered an important example of 20th Century modernist architecture. Designed by Saarinen, its distinctive curved roof rises dramatically towards the sky at either end.
Mr Trump said the landmark structure would be retained as part of the redevelopment.
The airport has become the latest major infrastructure project targeted by the Trump administration in the Washington area.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority operates Dulles under a 50-year lease approved by Congress.
Mr Trump has previously held discussions with United's Mr Kirby about the airport's future. In February, the two were involved in talks that included a proposal by Mr Kirby for United to merge with American Airlines. He later abandoned that pursuit.
Mr Trump said United would contribute towards the Dulles redevelopment, although the airline did not immediately provide details of its proposed funding. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.
