Dulles Airport to unveil new concourse with 14 gates, restaurants and passenger lounge

Washington Dulles International Airport opened Concourse E on Monday, November 9, marking the first new concourse at the airport in 20 years. The 435,000-square-foot facility serves only United Airlines and includes 14 gates for domestic and international flights, direct access to the AeroTrain system, and a nearly 40,000-square-foot United Club, the airline's second-largest in the country. The concourse also features shops, restaurants, a food court, an immersive gaming lounge, and a pet relief area. Initial food vendors include Aventino, Bonchon, Dos Toros Taqueria, Ellie Bird, Good Company Doughnuts & Café, Honor Brewing, MurLarkey Distilled Spirits, Rusty Taco, and Starbucks.

The $700 million project, which began construction in late 2023, was celebrated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by state, federal, and business leaders. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) President and CEO Jack Potter called the opening "a major milestone" in the airport's transformation under the "Dulles Global Gateway" plan, a more than $20 billion capital investment program involving MWAA, United Airlines, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. The plan, unveiled in July by MWAA, United, and President Donald Trump, calls for over 5 million square feet of new and renovated space, including an expanded main terminal, new concourses, and an expanded AeroTrain system that would allow the retirement of the airport's mobile lounges. Potter said the plan is "already planned" and "already budgeted" on a decade-long timeline.

United Airlines Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella said Concourse E will allow the airline to expand to new destinations, including Toulouse, France, next year and Milan, Italy, three days a week, neither of which is currently served by any other airline in the D.C. area. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and Representative Suhas Subramanyam also spoke at the ceremony, highlighting Dulles' role as a gateway to the country.

Airport Vice President and General Manager Richard Golinowski told WTOP that future growth depends on road and transit access. He said Dulles is working with the Virginia Department of Transportation, Fairfax County, and Loudoun County to handle increasing traffic, noting improvements to Route 28 and State Route 606 and discussing a future connector road through airport property. Golinowski said the Silver Line's Dulles station, opened in 2022, is the highest-use station on the line and takes pressure off the road system. The long-term plan includes eventually tearing down the current C/D concourse, which was intended to be temporary but has operated for more than 40 years.