Trump unveils $22.5b plan to remake Dulles Airport

Dulles Airport, perhaps most famous for having people movers that have been dubbed “mobile torture chambers,” will receive a $22.5 billion makeover, President Trump announced yesterday. The plans would maintain the classic exterior design, but gut the antiquated interior, bringing the airport’s infrastructure into the 21st century.

President Trump, who was personally involved in the new designs, unveiled the plans in the Oval Office alongside United CEO Scott Kirby—whose airline handles roughly 70% of traffic at Dulles:

• Congress hasn’t appropriated the funds for the extreme makeover, and Trump said the airlines would cover some of the costs. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said bonds will be issued and United is “going to partake in part of the payment.”
• Travel platform View From The Wing expressed concerns, saying the high price tag would make it unlikely for United to be able to offer low-cost fares.

What improvements are coming to the airport featured in Die Hard 2? Its existing concourses will be streamlined and expanded (and, in some cases, bulldozed and replaced). And its current underground rail system will be extended to bring passengers all the way to their terminals, removing the need for the dreaded “people movers” that have bridged that gap since the airport opened in 1962.

Looking ahead…Trump said the ambitious project could hopefully be completed in two years—though the airlines originally expected it to take 60 years.—DL