Countywide

It took nearly two decades, but last year delivered a new record passenger count to Dulles International Airport.

Just over 27.25 million passengers traveled through the airport in 2024, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) announced in late February.


News

A Reston man has been sentenced by a federal judge to nearly two decades in prison for preying on teens he encountered online — more than three years after Fairfax County courts dismissed similar charges against him.

Xavier Dejuan Jackson, 28, was sentenced to 19 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff in Alexandria today (Thursday) after he pleaded guilty last year to sexually exploiting a child, transporting minors and attempting to coerce a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced.


News

A man was convicted yesterday (Thursday) of assaulting a fellow passenger during a flight from San Francisco to Dulles International Airport.

In an incident that made national headlines, Everett Chad Nelson, a 44-year-old man from Stafford, was arrested by the FBI on Oct. 28, 2024 after he repeatedly punched a deaf passenger who was sleeping on United Airlines Flight 2247 “without provocation,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.


Countywide

The D.C. region is reeling in the aftermath of a crash involving an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport that officials say left no survivors.

Arriving from Witchita, Kansas, the airplane was making its descent when it collided with the helicopter over the Potomac River around 8:50 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday). The crash drew a massive emergency response that included personnel from Fairfax County’s police and fire departments.


News

Congressional Republicans are once again pushing to rename Dulles International Airport after President Donald Trump.

North Carolina Rep. Addison McDowell introduced H.R. 691 last Thursday, Jan. 23 to designate the Northern Virginia airport as “Donald J. Trump International Airport,” proclaiming the move a fitting parallel to former president Ronald Reagan’s moniker gracing Washington National Airport in Arlington.


Countywide

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) officials are hoping connections made in 2024 will pay off in the form of additional service options to Asia in 2025.

Authority staff attended three conferences in Asia over the past year, with a total of 51 face-to-face meetings promoting the D.C. region and Dulles International Airport.


News

A Maryland man has been convicted of cocaine possession after the drug was found in a cake he transported from Colombia to Dulles International Airport last spring.

Gildo Ricci, a 69-year-old Peruvian citizen who legally resides in Rockville, had 2.07 kilograms of cocaine concealed in food that customs agents discovered in his luggage on April 25, 2024, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.


Around Town

An Arlington-based chain of health-conscious eateries is now catering to more than just local diners.

South Block began serving customers at Dulles International Airport on Monday, Dec. 30, opening up its collection of smoothies, acai bowls and cold-pressed juice to travelers.


Countywide

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.


News

United Airlines is building a new facility to train its flight attendants based at Dulles International Airport and elsewhere in the D.C. region.

Construction is now underway on the 20,000-square-foot Inflight Training Center, a $16 million investment that’s expected to open sometime next year, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) announced yesterday (Monday).


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