United Airlines confirmed plans to construct a new concourse and build its largest United Club ever at its mid-Atlatnic Washington Dulles hub. The new $500 million facility will finally solve the “train to nowhere” problem and lead to international growth from IAD.
United Airlines Highlights Washington Dulles Expansion Plan, Concourse E
United has officially unveiled “Concourse E” in concert with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). The 435,000-square-foot, 14-gate concourse will include an expansive new 40,000-square-foot United Club location (United’s largest club ever) and is expected to debut in late 2026.
The new concourse will be bankrolled by local and federal funding such as grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law earmarked for airport improvement projects. It was first announced in 2023, but construction is expected to accelerate over the next two years in anticipation of the 2026 opening.
Concourse E will be located directly over the AeroTrain station, eliminating the need for a long walk from the train station to the C/D concourse:
International arrivals will have a new upper-level walkway to immigration (much like in the Tom Bradley Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport), further reducing the need for mobile lounges (“moon buggies”).
46,000 feet of new shopping and dining will be part of the concourse expansion.
This will not be the end of Terminals C and D…it is merely an augmentation, which will reduce congestion and allow United to expand.
United CEO Scott Kirby explained:
“Washington Dulles has emerged as a global gateway and these new investments will help deliver the world-class facility that our employees and customers deserve. Today is one of many milestone celebrations to come in United’s long-term commitment in advancing our Dulles hub.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at Washington Dulles this morning. Kirby hinted at “doubling” international traffic from Washington Dulles during his remarks.
Speaking As A United Flyer
I’ve been a loyal United flyer since 2004, long before the merger with Continental ushered in Newark and Houston as fortress hubs, when Washington Dulles was the main transit point for connections to Europe, South America, and the Middle East.
As was true then, like now, United operations in Terminal C/D were in a “temporary” terminal that is older than I am!
While this will not change, the stark juxtaposition between the luxe B-gates and the dilapidated, low-ceiling C/D gates was great. The new E gates will finally give United a modern facility at IAD.
I find Washington Dulles is the most convenient airport to enter the United States if you have a connecting flight and I do not see that changing with the impending expansion.
> Read More: Why I Love International Connections at Washington Dulles
Northern Virginia and the greater DC metro area is one of the wealthiest areas in the entire country: it’s time to have an international airport befitting of America’s capital.
I am happy to see this project take off and the extra space is greatly needed considering how United banks flights.
CONCLUSION
United Airlines is finally publicizing its long-awaited expansion at Washington Dulles International Airport. Plans include 14 new gates and a large new United Club. I would not hold my breath for a late 2026 completion date considering how long, for example, the Metro extension to Dulles was delayed, but this is a much-needed investment that will greatly enhance United’s presence at IAD.
This looks lovely, but I am a little confused on how this will “ eliminate the need for a long walk from the train station to the C/D concourse”. The train will drop off right under the E concourse, but won’t you still have to walk the tunnel if you’re going out of C/D? I think the walk is here to stay until a proper replacement (instead of addition) to C/D is operational.
Sure, you’ll still have to walk if departing from C/D, but if United operates the 14 new widebody gates to capacity, that will eliminate the need for thousands of folks a day to have to make that walk.
It is imporant to note that the station was located because this construction was anticipated as part of a very long range plan. My understanding is that there will eventually be a concourse as long as the C and D concourses, and the current C and D concourses will be demolished I do wonder whether the Polaris lounge will be moved as well – that would better serve the widebodies at the E Concourse.
Even with that said, it would still be nice if they could have the Aerotrain stop at the C/D concourse as well.
They never will.
C and D are “temporary” and those structures are not part of the long term plan. Eventually, there will be an F concourse and and extension of the aeotrain to a corresponding location. Building stations to support “temporary” (and I get the irony) strustures would have been wasteful.
Are they bringing in engineering and construction firms from China? Not any way in hell that is completed by 2026. It’s my home airport and would love to see it – but I would not bet on anything before 2028.
2028?! So optimistic!
Well considering today was not a groundbreaking ceremony, but an unveiling of what is already under construction, late 2026 is certainly plausible if not sooner.
Now will the master plan of building out Tier 2 center and Tier 3 happen in the timeline the plan calls for by 2031? I hope so for United’s sake, and its passengers and employees
Completely agree on IAD as a great POE/POD for flights to/from the US – if on UA. And the Polaris Club there is my favorite because it seems to be the least congested (when I fly…no data on actual crowding). It has fairly easy access via Metro (finally) or the Dulles Toll Road. But I HATE having to use the people movers/mobile lounges. To the point that I’ll actively avoid IAD unless UA is the best/only option to get me across the pond. I know that makes little sense in the grand scheme of things, but they’re just such a terrible “welcome” to the nation’s capital after a marginally long TATL flight. Their only redeeming value is that they’re super retro. So if you don’t have to use them, they’re kind of cool for nostalgia’s sake. Especially given their initial design was intended to take passengers directly from the plane into DC. How feasible that was…probably not at all. But still a fun idea. In 1950-whatever. Now, though? Not so much.
@DCAWABN hits the nail on the head. Crappy way to arrive home – plus the drive if you live in most of the DMV.
“Best airport for connections”
No, try the worst and has the longest walks as well as the terrible people mover. Do not lie to people as you are clearly on something lol
But with all the money that is in that area it makes sense to majorly expand there especially since their goal is to overtake Delta, and premium international is a real money maker. It’s a smart decision
Of the East-ish coast airports I do think IAD is the most consistent for a connection from Europe…EWR is a mess operationally. The constant ATC delays and weather issues in the summer makes connecting through there stressful. ORD isn’t bad, but you really need to leave yourself ample time with the taxi, long customs lines without global, and transfer from T5 to T1. IAD isn’t pretty, but I feel operationally it’s not bad. Once the ORD T2 project is built, it will be a closer race.
Dulles is my home airport and it’s pretty obvious that the airport is in need of modernization. If expansion of United’s hub at IAD helps to accomplish this, then I’m all for it.
So UA will be using the new E concourse as well as well as being the only airline to use the C/D concourse as well? Then again, not sure why any other airline would want to use the C/D concourse…
But you’ll still have to go to C concourse for the Polaris lounge. Still good news and definitely needed.
Will there be a Customer Service Center? Or will there be one behind temporary barriers? Lol.
It’s honestly ridiculous… there’s **6** Need Help centers for Delta at JFK, in addition to their virtual support. Why can’t United do both? I don’t feel comfortable booking any older relative on United with all this QR code push. Not everyone is good at apps like you and (hopefully) I.
It’s something I wish we were not seeing…the agent-on-demand is a helpful option, but should not be the only option.
Yes, was going to highlight that separately but it’s more good news for UA.
Good. United also is building a FA instruction facility near IAD with the ability to train 650 candidates each month. Another nice investment by United.
Move United to B terminal. Move all other airlines to C/D. Demolish A terminal (which I believe will happen once E opens). This would go a very long way to making Dulles a more desirable airport for United loyalists. It’s a fortress hub. United should have the best terminal, not the worst.
Well I’ll drink to that!
Good but long overdue. It’s my home airport and the long walks are currently ridiculous.
Its annoying America is still installing those awful metal jet bridges in brand new facilities in 2024.
Blurg.
@Matthew, what was “delepiatrated” supposed to be? Dilapidated? I’ve gotta say that it’s one of the more interesting typos you’ve made. 🙂
As for the terminal, I agree that it’s looong overdue. But they really need to add a Polaris Lounge there as well, or it won’t sit well with premium pax. They better add showers to that UC, too…
Dilapidated indeed!
I was thinking the same thing. Put a brand new Polaris Lounge in the new terminal and convert the space of the existing Polaris Lounge into a United Club. Send most (if not all) int’l flights out of the new terminal. It’s not a completely clean slate, but definitely a start to feel like a much more premium experience for the int’l flights in/out of IAD. Unfortunately it doesn’t sound like they’re going to do this.
In all honesty, I am surprised that the comments section has not (yet) become a thread for Delta.
FWIW, not really “confirmed plans” seeing as the project has been under construction (ground breaking was in 2023) and United has acknowledged the project several times in press releases over the past year.
This was more or less just a political showcase.
“International arrivals will have a new upper-level walkway to immigration (much like in the Tom Bradley Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport), further reducing the need for mobile lounges (“moon buggies”).”
Mobile lounges aren’t going anywhere – there will be an upper level walkway that will lead to a mobile lounge dock. A FIS is NOT part of this phase. Later buildouts of this concourse (to fully replace C/D) will include a FIS for connecting passengers, just like C/D has today.
How exactly does this reduce the need for the mobile lounges to immigration? This concourse is on the other side of concourse C/D. Immigration for local arriving passengers coming to DC is still in the International Arrivals Building, located adjacent to the main terminal building. That would be a HUGE walk – over a mile – from concourse E. Renderings of the terminal still show mobile lounges docking there, so I’m assuming that passengers whose final destination is DC will still need to take the mobile lounges to get to the main terminal for clearing and exit to DC.
My main question is this – for those simply transiting, will there be a new customs/ immigration facility in the basement of concourse E? Currently, there is a customs / immigration facility in the basement of Concourse C/D that makes it very easy to connect from an arriving UA international flight to domestic. You mention that this terminal will be mainly widebody…. will there be an immigration facility to handle those conneting passengers here, or will they have to walk over to C/D? Or go where?
Those questions remain unanswered.
The master plan contemplates a different future. The plan calls for a new connector building between the main terminal and the A/B gates that will house a new IAB facility. So, A/B international arrivals will walk to customs/immigration rather than ride the mobile lounges. The plan also includes a new midfield FIS (like today) that will be part of the next phase of the E concourse. So connecting passengers will walk via the new walkways to the FIS. The plan vaguely indicates a connection of some kind from Tier 2 to the new IAB; that combination of investments is what will need to happen to finally retire the mobile lounges.
I’m betting this means the A321XLR’s will be based here.
As time progresses, needs to morph into a ATL format to be world class. Yes, ATL has its issues, but IAD needs one underground connection (rail/walkway) laterally connecting all terminals. Also, a dedicated international wing (midfield) for immigration/customs. The ace in the hole is IAD has multiple runways as a foundation. The hard part will be scraping the mobile units due to preservationist objections.
Will take many years if IAD wants to be in the big leagues.