President Trump will unveil a plan to rebuild Dulles International Airport that would replace four terminals with five, expand the underground train to eliminate the airport's controversial "mobile lounges," and add a pedestrian tunnel and moving walkways. United Airlines, which handles about 70% of Dulles traffic, has agreed to help finance the multi‑year project, while MWAA plans to issue bonds and had approved a $7 billion 2025 capital plan. The proposal follows safety concerns after a mobile lounge crash that injured at least 18 people and comes as Dulles recorded 29 million passengers in 2025.
Trump to Unveil $22 Billion Plan to Rebuild Dulles International Airport
Travelers move through Washington Dulles international airport on 22 May 2026.Photograph: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
President Donald Trump is set to announce a roughly $22 billion plan to overhaul Washington's Dulles International Airport at a White House event scheduled for 3pm on Wednesday. A White House official confirmed the announcement after reports that Trump personally reviewed 3D design models from competing contractors and suggested changes to the proposals.
What the Plan Would Include
The proposal calls for replacing the airport's current four terminals with five new terminals, expanding the underground train system so passengers no longer rely on the airport's much‑criticized "mobile lounges," and adding an underground pedestrian tunnel and more moving walkways to improve connections between concourses. People briefed on the plan say the approved design emphasizes glass and gold finishes, including gold‑mirrored ceilings throughout the terminals.
Financing and Timeline
United Airlines, which accounts for roughly 70% of traffic at Dulles, has agreed to help finance the multi‑year project, which media reports say will take years and cost more than $20 billion. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), which operates Dulles under a 50‑year lease from Congress, is expected to fund a large portion through new bond issuances; MWAA had already approved a separate $7 billion capital plan for 2025. Officials from MWAA and United are expected to join the president at the announcement, along with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and United CEO Scott Kirby.
Safety Concerns and Recent Context
Criticism of Dulles has long centered on its distance from downtown Washington, aging shuttle vehicles and concourses with persistent jet fuel odors. Concerns intensified after a mobile lounge collided with a concourse dock in November, injuring at least 18 people; a Trump‑appointed MWAA board member later cited that crash as additional justification for retiring the shuttles. Dulles handled a record 29 million passengers in 2025 and is scheduled to open a new 14‑gate concourse for United this autumn.
“It should be a great airport. It's a terrible airport,” President Trump said in December, summarizing his dissatisfaction with Dulles.
United and MWAA did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reporting on the project has cited CBS News and The Washington Post as sources for the president's involvement and cost estimates.
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