Travelers seeking the VIP treatment at Dulles International Airport — and willing to pay for it — will have another option in coming years.
The board of directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) approved a 20-year contract on July 15 with DAA International Ltd to develop and operate a remote VIP passenger facility at the airport.
The new facility, which is expected to take about 30 months to complete, will be located on a 51,000-square-foot parcel of land located near the airport’s Cargo 6 building.
“The contractor will screen and transport passengers and their luggage to/from gated commercial aircraft and provide amenities, such as food and bar service, private suites, restrooms and WiFi,” the agreement says.
It is expected that the contractor will charge a daily or membership fee for access to the new facilities, MWAA officials said.
The contractor will pay the authority a combination of annual rent, plus a percentage of total revenue. The contract is valued at $125 million over the course of the 20-year term.
Ireland-based daa International was one of three contractors that bid on the project.
One of the unsuccessful firms, whose identity wasn’t named by MWAA, appealed the contract award. At the July 15 meeting, the authority’s board voted to reject the appeal — a decision that was unanimous with the exception of board member Trent Morse, an appointee of the Trump Administration.
Morse subsequently was the lone board member to oppose awarding the contract to DAA International.
Photo via Ellen Jenni/Unsplash
