Construction is moving along on United Airlines’ new concourse at Dulles International Airport, a 14-gate expansion that officials say will usher in a “new era of growth” for the D.C. region’s largest airline.
Expected to open in late 2026, the 435,000-square-foot Concourse E will directly connect to the airport’s underground Aerotrain station, add capacity for international flights and offer new amenities, including retail, concessions and a 40,000-square-foot United Club for the airline’s members.
The additional gates will allow United to double its international service, CEO Scott Kirby said yesterday (Tuesday) at an event celebrating the airline’s investments in its Dulles hub.
“This is going to be critical to our ability to keep expanding, adding more connecting points,” Kirby said. “It’s not just important for United and this community, but it’s important for the country. Giving people around the world a way to get to and from the nation’s capital is a mission that’s bigger than just United Airlines, so it’s our honor to be part of that.”
Even before the concourse begins operating, United anticipates increasing its daily activities at Dulles from over 250 departures to nearly 280 flights by April 2025, according to a press release.
The airline has introduced 13 new domestic routes this year — more than any other U.S. carrier at any American airport. In October, it announced plans to add three international flights next summer, including nonstop service to Nice in France, Venice in Italy, and Dakar in Senegal.
The flights to and from Dakar, a new destination for United, are scheduled to launch on May 23, 2025, pending approval by Senegal’s government.
Carrying a price tag of over $500 million, more than $200 million of which is being covered by federal funding, the Concourse E project is the first phase of a nearly $7-billion plan for capital improvement projects at Dulles Airport that the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board approved in March.
MWAA’s master plan for the airport’s next 15 years also calls for new security screening and baggage facilities, an extension of Concourse A, study and design work for a fifth runway, and development of the Saarinen Circle parking lot, among other operational and capacity changes.
“It’s the beginning of us reinventing this airport to better serve the traveling public, and I can’t thank United enough for making the investment,” MWAA President and CEO Jack Potter said.
In United’s press release, Virginia senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner highlighted the role that federal funding, specifically from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Joe Biden in November 2021, played in getting the concourse project off the ground.
“Dulles serves as a critical economic development hub for Virginia and helps travelers get where they need to go. I’ve been proud to help secure federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand the concourses, which will make traveling to and from the airport more convenient,” said Senator Tim Kaine. “I’m thrilled to celebrate the construction of this new concourse because it will enhance the experience of every traveler who walks through the airport. I thank United and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) for their partnership in this effort.”
“Every day, Dulles Airport serves tens of thousands of passengers coming in and out of the DMV region. I’m glad to see this major expansion build on the historic investments we’ve made through the bipartisan infrastructure law and support the construction of the newest concourse at Dulles,” said Senator Mark Warner. “I look forward to seeing Concourse E come to life with 14 additional gates that will increase flight options and state-of-the-art facilities that will improve the experience of air travelers.”
According to United, the concourse is designed to accommodate updated airplanes from Boeing and Airbus that it will roll out in the coming years as part of a “United Next” modernization plan.
Though Boeing wasn’t mentioned during yesterday’s remarks, Airbus Senior Vice President of Customers Colin Bole trumpeted the A321neo and A321XLR models that the Dutch manufacturing company is adding to United’s fleet as “game-changers.”
The A321neo can seat 180 to 244 passengers, depending on the layout. It reduces the amount of fuel burned and carbon dioxide emitted by about 20% from previous generations of aircraft, Bole said.
“It really allows the airline to upgrade the domestic capacity and take customer service standards to the next level,” he said.
All of United’s new planes will have larger overhead bins for carry-ons and Braille labels on seats and bathrooms. The airline will also launch a free Starlink WiFi system on all its aircraft starting next year, according to its website.
Outside of Dulles Airport, United is expanding its Northern Virginia footprint with a 20,000-square-foot Inflight Training Center for flight attendants based in the D.C. region. Now under construction, the center is expected to open in Chantilly next year.
The facility upgrades for United, which employs over 8,000 people in the D.C. area, coincide with a post-pandemic upswing in passengers at Dulles that MWAA anticipates will continue in 2025.
While passenger numbers have yet to return to their peak in 2005, the airport has fully recovered from the Covid-induced slump of 2020 and 2021, according to Potter.
Capping off a hectic five-day stretch of Thanksgiving-related travel, this past Sunday (Dec. 1) was the single busiest day in United’s history in terms of the number of passengers, and the hub at Dulles “led the way,” United Airlines Chief Operations Officer Toby Enqvist said.
