United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby spoke for less than a minute during the White House announcement of a $22.5 billion overhaul of Washington Dulles International Airport, but one line captured how long United has been waiting for this moment.
United CEO Scott Kirby: “I’ve Spent My Whole Career Waiting” For Dulles Rebuild
President Donald Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy dominated the announcement of a sweeping plan to rebuild Washington Dulles International Airport, but United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby offered perhaps the clearest explanation of why the project matters so much to the airport’s largest carrier.
“I’ve spent my whole career at United Airlines waiting for this day,” Kirby said.
That is quite a statement from an airline executive who has worked in the industry for decades.
Kirby explained that United’s current midfield terminal facilities were built approximately 45 years ago and were intended to be temporary.
Temporary, of course, proved to be a very elastic term.
Concourses C and D have now served United passengers for decades, despite narrow corridors, crowded gate areas, low ceilings, and an overall appearance that has never matched the importance of Dulles as the primary international gateway to the nation’s capital. How bad is it? Here’s a video I took just a few days ago:
United Has Waited Decades For Permanent Dulles Concourses
Kirby said United employees have waited even longer than he has for Dulles to receive facilities capable of making it one of the world’s best airports.
His remarks were brief, but (49 seconds in total), but certainly personal. Kirby used his few moments to frame the proposed redevelopment as the culmination of a decades-long effort by United to replace facilities that should never have survived this long.
United currently operates the dominant hub at Dulles and handles the majority of the airport’s passenger traffic. Yet the airline’s principal concourses remain among the least impressive parts of the airport.
That contrast has always been striking to United flyers like me.
Dulles has one of the most beautiful and recognizable main terminals in the world, designed by Eero Saarinen. But after passing through that architectural landmark, many United passengers are transported to concourses that feel more like aging temporary structures because that is precisely what they were.
Kirby Says The Proposed Design Works For United And Passengers
Kirby also offered an important endorsement of the proposed airport layout. He said the design would work well operationally for United while also creating a beautiful interior experience for passengers…which of course is essential.
An airport can look impressive in a rendering while creating long walks, congested taxiways, inefficient gate utilization, or difficult connections (hello Newark). Kirby’s comments suggest United believes the proposed arrangement addresses both sides of the equation.
The broader Dulles plan includes permanent midfield concourses, expanded AeroTrain service, pedestrian tunnels with moving walkways, modernized baggage and security infrastructure, additional United Club space, and a larger Polaris Lounge.
It would also finally allow United to retire Concourses C and D.
> Read More: Inside Trump’s $22.5 Billion Washington Dulles Overhaul: RIP To The Iconic “Moon Buggies”
Concourse E Is Only The Beginning
United and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority are already constructing a new 14-gate Concourse E, which is expected to open later this year.
The 435,000-square-foot facility will include direct AeroTrain access, modern gate areas, new concessions, a dedicated corridor for international arrivals, and a roughly 40,000-square-foot United Club.
But Kirby’s remarks make clear that Concourse E is simply the first tangible step toward a permanent midfield complex. The larger redevelopment would extend that infrastructure, add additional gates and AeroTrain connections, and eventually permit United to abandon C and D.
> Read More: United Airlines Confirms Big Plans For Washington Dulles
A Gateway Worthy Of The Capital
Kirby concluded by describing the redevelopment as something not only United employees, but all Americans, could be proud of. That may sound like the customary praise offered at a White House announcement, but the underlying point is fair.
For many international visitors, Dulles is their first impression of the United States and its capital. The Saarinen terminal provides an impressive welcome. The present United concourses (and yes, even my beloved mobile lounges) do not.
United has invested heavily in expanding Dulles as an international hub, adding destinations and positioning the airport as a key connecting point between the United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
The infrastructure now needs to catch up with the network.
CONCLUSION
Scott Kirby spoke for less than a minute, but his remarks revealed just how consequential the proposed Dulles redevelopment is for United Airlines.
“I’ve spent my whole career at United Airlines waiting for this day.”
After 45 years of making do with supposedly temporary concourses, United may finally receive a Washington hub worthy of its global route network.
Concourse E will provide the first 14 new gates, but it is only the beginning. For Kirby and generations of United employees, the ultimate goal is finally replacing C and D with permanent facilities built for the future rather than another decade(s) of temporary fixes.
It seems President Trump has decided to overlook United’s Palm Beach Airport controversy! 😉
Is Kirby actually ‘cool’ with the increase in cost per enplanement to $90.64 by 2035. Recall, back in 2013, United found $26.47 impossible to manage. I donno, bud…
Is that the estimate??!!
That’s what Gary had posted at VFTW earlier. If true, that’s a shocking increase. Feels like a lot of hype.
Like you, i felt quite surprised they would pay anything over $27. Jeffie almost closed the hub over $26.
For real. I mean, I’m not an airline CEO, nor do I have to be to know that doesn’t seem financially viable.
The new Epstein-Trump terminal will be beautiful.
Looking forward to touring the “McConnell Memorial Public Restroom” (coming soon!)
Maybe Larry Craig instead?
Touche!
Maybe someone will dedicate a new zombie movie to ol’ Weekend At Bernie’s Mitch McConnell.
Zing! It’s a shame that they’ve since remodeled the actual restrooms at MSP (concourse G?)
You forgot Miss Ladybug, Lindsey Graham. I’ve heard the DC tranny hookers are in serious mourning regarding his passing.
I think an honesty correction is in order. He’s been waiting for a sucker to fork out the money so United doesn’t have to. Then again, truth and Kirby have had a rather tenuous relationship since he became CEO of United.
This $22.5B project will be ground zero for waste, fraud and abuse.
And there’s already a history of that at IAD…
Hopefully they dont hire the contractor that botched the reflecting pool. If so, all Olympic athletes need to steer clear of IAD
And the wait seems to be coming to an end…
It appears that whether at state dinners in the White House or at business leaders’ forums, Scott Kirby, a highly competent CEO with a diplomatic approach, excels at cultivating privileged relationships with political power. This regular access allows him to present significant and innovative corporate strategies, such as high-profile merger and consolidation proposals in the airline industry, directly to President Trump.
Does this mean the little whippersnapper suck up can retire and give UA to someone whose nose is not tinted darker than his skin?
Waste of taxpayers money, the current airport is just fine.
But let’s face it, government is built to waste taxpayers money regardless of party in charge.
Why do we need modern airports at all? All we really need is a runway and some folding chairs under a tent. Scratch that, forget the chairs and tent, everyone can stand outside. Anything more than bare necessity is waste
Hello Matt. Dulles is my home airport so observation from a local:
1) Dulles is reputed to have one of the most corrupt management (MWAA) in the world putting Chicago to shame. Not sure if they can pull this off.
2) In the past, sadly, but the Metro Silver line going to the airport was not well planned either. Just dual track with lots of stops. If they had done 3 or 4 track, DC residents wouldn’t mind if it was only a 1/2 hour ride express.
3) The People Movers are cool, actually, but not implemented according to the original version where they should have been more luxury. Instead, it’s merely a highly uncomfortable, overpriced bus ride. Yuck! Nonetheless, I find it an amusing anachronism.
4) I’d rather have an old airport with affordable options versus a pretty, renovated, overpriced airport (hello IST!). The majority of fliers don’t need shopping options for overpriced baggage display shops, sweaters, or $20 cold hoagies.
5) Good airports I’ve been to had fun (free) stuff to do such as play areas for kids, areas with couches to sleep/sit, museums, and so on to murder a few hours.
I do find it humorous to hear Trump talk about how terrible IAD is and being one of the worst airports in the world, as if somehow we are supposed to believe that he has actually flown thru IAD as a passenger or transited through there. It really is a vanity project to jump into an already existing plan to makeover IAD, coat it in gold, and claim credit.
Everyone knows that IAD needs a coherent plan to have terminals/concourses that aren’t located a mile away from train stops, and eliminate the use of moon buggies for international arrivals. But it’s not that bad. C/D aren’t pretty, I don’t think anyone will argue that….though is it really any worse than sections of DFW Terminal C with bathrooms overflowing, torn carpet, or ceilings crumbling…..or having to push through the throngs of people in CLT because the concourses weren’t built big enough to handle the level of traffic AA is pushing through there…..or seemingly walking forever at IAH because the TerminaLink is nowhere close to gates and UA removed all the moving walkways…..or EWR where using the AirTrain requires you to clear/reclear security, and taking a bus between A and C means you need at least 1.5 hrs between your connecting flights.
Fix the underground train, rebuild C/D, and figure out a better solution for customs/transiting passengers, build a consolidated rental car facility, tweak/update the counters inside the Saarinen building but don’t mess with the core design. And is parking the biggest issue? Shouldn’t require $22.5 billion. I’d also venture to say that most of the politicians are flying to/from DCA (for the convenience of how close it is to Capitol Hill) and connecting over JFK if they are going anywhere international. Sure there is always going to be a need for international flights to DC, but making a shiny new IAD isn’t going to stimulate international traffic.
IAD has been my home airport for 30 plus years. It has come a long way and I don’t know why it has become fashionable to give it a bad rap! I think, those bloggers and reporters who are not from the DMV area simply think they have to give IAD a negative review to get some attention/traction 🙂
Does IAD need improvements? Sure, it does! Most major airports, including LAX, JFK, EWR, ORD have issues and most of them structural issues (just like IAD). Singling out IAD is not good. Here is what I would do:
1. Build out Terminal E fully to replace C&D.
2. Replace Mobile Lounges (which I actually like and do not know why many bloggers and reporters hate; I am sure many who do not like them rarely use this airport or have never used it!)
3. Improve the wait times in International Arrivals (I have see notoriously long wait times in the afternoon and evening arrival times).
4. If possible, extend Aerotrain to have an additional stop in E.
5. Most importantly, keep the CPE lower. IAD faces competition from DCA and BWI for domestic passengers and keeping CPE lower is paramount.
6. Make international to domestic connection more seamless. Right now, it is a long walk for connecting passengers!
IAD cannot replace EWR for United. However, it can be a great complementary airport for EWR. IAD has a decent O&D for international passengers (I would say, it probably ranks, tied to third place with a three-way tie with SFO and ORD, with LAX and JFK being the top 2). The premium demand is also consistent throughout the year! Leverage this and make IAD a great connecting airport. We don’t want IAD to be a rathole like CLT or ATL. But a very good connecting airport for United.