Later, the main terminal, new runway, new control tower, and part of the automated train system were expanded. Officials cut the ribbon on the long-awaited Metrorail connection last year. And soon, the nation’s largest solar power facility will be built inside an airport.
A team of planners at the Washington Metropolitan Area Airports Authority is currently working on it. Toward a new vision In the case of Dulles Airport, it would significantly expand the airport’s footprint, potentially including construction of a new runway, concourse, and completion of the AeroTrain system. The new master plan could also incorporate the next generation of transportation, electric vertical takeoff and landing planes, also known as air taxis, which supporters say could provide faster, greener means of transportation. It is claimed that there is.
“These are very exciting times,” said Greg Wollard, manager of planning for MWAA, which manages Dulles Airport and its sister airport, Reagan National Airport. “With changes in technology, industry, airlines, aviation equipment and passenger behavior, we thought now was an opportune time to create a new master plan.”
At an October workshop, officials narrowed down a dozen or so design ideas for the concourse and presented three. Two of the proposed structures will rely on the AeroTrain system to transport people to the gates. One concept is to connect the new concourse to the main terminal, giving travelers the option of walking to the gate or taking the train. The other is an “H” shaped structure with “arms” extending from the ends. The third is most similar to the airport’s current layout, with parallel concourses.
Mr Wallard said work on the master plan is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. Next steps include obtaining feedback from local governments, community members, airlines and other stakeholders. The MWAA will also need to select a final concept for the new concourse. Wallard said construction could be years away, given environmental impacts and other research needs.
The new design comes nearly two years after airport officials announced plans for a 14-gate, 400,000-square-foot concourse. The three-story space is equivalent to three soccer fields, Wollard said. The contract has been signed and officials hope to complete construction by 2026.
Imagining how Dulles will evolve in 25 years is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, Wollard said. The last master plan for the airport he completed in 1985.
While other airports struggle to find expansion space, Dulles Airport sits on approximately 12,000 acres. The size is more than a quarter of the district. Dulles is the only major airport on the East Coast with room for growth.
In 2019, Dulles carried 12.3 million passengers. Wallard said conservative projections show that number rising to 17 million by 2045, at which point the Washington area is expected to have an additional 1.5 million residents.
MWAA began the master plan process in 2019 and continued to refine the master plan while the coronavirus pandemic effectively shut down travel.
“At a time when many people were holding back from evaluating things due to COVID-19, we took the opportunity to be proactive,” Wollard said. “We knew we needed to address COVID-19 before it hit. We saw some weaknesses in the airport and things that needed to be addressed, so we said, ‘We want to take this as an opportunity. Let’s take advantage of it and be in the lead rather than trying to catch up.”
Wollard said sustainability is one of the top priorities for the airport authority as it moves through the planning process.
Lessons learned during the pandemic will also influence the design, he said. Personal space is becoming more important to travelers, and the way seating areas are configured may change. People have become accustomed to using kiosks to perform tasks such as checking in tickets and checking baggage, potentially reducing the need for space to accommodate ticket agents.
“These kinds of trends are really important to us,” he said.