Trump unveils $22 billion plan to remake Washington Dulles airport

The plan, one of the largest U.S. airport overhauls ever proposed, will be funded through municipal bonds but raises questions about what it will mean for the cost of flights. The airport authority had already approved a separate $7 billion capital plan for Dulles.

Despite the criticism, Dulles was the fastest-growing large U.S. airport last year by passenger traffic. The airport had a record year in 2025, handling 29 million total passengers, up 6.4%. This fall, it will get a new 435,000-square-foot, 14-gate concourse serving United customers.

Critics say Dulles needs modernization and gripe about slow vehicles that transport passengers across the tarmac, which Duffy said will be phased out as part of the overhaul.

The U.S. Department of Transportation in December criticized a "jet fuel smell in the concourses" and the "paltry" number of gates in the main terminal.