Donald Trump just announced his biggest construction project yet, and it’s not a building with his name on it. The President revealed a multibillion-dollar plan to completely transform one of Washington’s busiest airports.
Donald Trump will spend $22.5B for Dulles airport makeover
President Donald Trump unveiled an ambitious renovation plan for Dulles International Airport on Wednesday. The project covers over 5 million square feet of new or upgraded space across the facility. NBC News reported the initiative will carry a $22.5 billion price tag without requiring federal funds.
“We’ll replace the current C and D concourses, which are basic disasters, all the while preserving the iconic original terminal,” Trump stated during an Oval Office announcement. He chose the final designs “after an extensive review of more than 30 proposals with the top architects anywhere in the world.” The renovated airport will also feature a massive parking structure holding 32,000 vehicles.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy explained that airlines will shoulder the entire financial burden. “United is going to partake in part of the payment, but the airlines who participate in the project are going to pay for it,” Duffy confirmed. A modern “horseshoe rail system” will additionally replace the airport’s outdated people movers.
United Airlines announced the upgrades will span modernized concourses, a larger main terminal, and improved boarding areas. The airline estimated the transformation will unfold over “the next decade.” Trump, by contrast, expressed hope for completion within just two years.
Passengers at the airport offered varied opinions about its current state. Frequent flyer Bill Eberhardt complained about the people movers, saying riders “smell diesel fuel all the way back.” Traveler Becky Saleh, fresh off a flight from Paris, described the mobile lounges as “very old-fashioned” and uncomfortably “hot” and “sticky.”
Trump first visited the Northern Virginia airport last October to evaluate potential improvements. He later described Dulles as “a terrible airport” during a December Cabinet session. Duffy indicated that some permitting steps remain, though officials aim to break ground by next spring.
