Washington Dulles International Airport will undergo a $22.5 billion renovation that will end the use of the widely disliked "people movers," the mobile lounges that have been used for decades to shuttle travelers to and from the main terminal.
In place of the people movers, the airport will add a new U-shaped passenger train, a central walking tunnel, more moving walkways and new concourses. An above-ground parking garage closer to the main terminal with space for 32,000 vehicles also is in the plans, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
The airport, the area's primary international airport, served roughly 29 million passengers over the past year, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
Dulles modernization is overdue
Congress would need to approve some aspects of the renovation plan. Construction could start next spring, according to Duffy. The plan does not call for expanding Dulles' runways or adding new ones.
Officials said the airlines and the airport authority that operates Dulles would pay for the project with municipal bonds, but they did not spell out how much of the cost might be passed on to travelers through higher fees or ticket prices when flying out of the airport.
John Potter, president and CEO of the MWAA, which operates Dulles, said his agency, United Airlines and other airlines operating there have agreed "to fund this thing." Dulles is one of United's hubs.
"So this is not requiring federal dollars," Potter said at an Oval Office event announcing the project. "This is going to be airport-generated dollars, airline contributions, which is phenomenal."
Dulles, in northern Virginia, is about 25 miles from downtown Washington. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is in Arlington, Va., which is closer to downtown, making it popular with members of Congress and local residents.
Some costs could be shared by taxpayers and travelers
Even if the project is largely paid for by the airlines, industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said taxpayers might be asked to cover upgrades to the runways and safety measures, as well as new customs and security facilities. The president of the Atmosphere Research Group also said he wouldn't be surprised to see a passenger-facility fee added eventually.
"I'm not taking the statement that they are not going to use taxpayer money at face value," Harteveldt said.
The reason United and other airlines are willing to invest in Dulles, he said, is that they believe it will help them expand by adding more flights and passengers, boosting their revenue. But this also could contribute to higher ticket prices.
"United is going to try to charge as much for its tickets as it can. Other airlines will do the same," Harteveldt said. "I think part of the statement that no tax money will be used could be something to placate the public right now."
The people movers arrived with the airport in 1962
Designed by the Chrysler Corp., the people movers shuttle passengers between the terminal and aircraft. The fleet of 19 mobile lounges are each capable of carrying up to 102 passengers, according to its website.
When Dulles debuted in 1962, the airport touted the system as a major convenience. Passengers, it said, "had to walk only 200 feet once they entered the terminal until they were seated in a mobile lounge for the short trip directly to their aircraft," a service it described as unique to Dulles.
But they have become one of passengers' least favorite aspects of transiting through Dulles, with travelers complaining that the system is outdated, balky and slow. At times, planes have to wait for a people mover to cross and vice versa, which slows operations at the airport.
One of the lounges crashed in November, sending 18 people to the hospital.
Dulles began a multibillion-dollar construction program in 2000 to begin to address future passenger demand. Major projects included two new parking garages, a fourth runway, a new concourse, a new air-traffic control tower, pedestrian walkways and an airport train system, according to the airport authority's website.
The MWAA says significant modernization work already is underway at Dulles. Later this year, the first segment of the new Concourse E will open with 14 additional United gates that will help the airline expand its international network, provide direct access to the airport's AeroTrain system, and debut new and enhanced concessions options and passenger lounges.
Associated Press writers Rio Yamat in Las Vegas and Josh Funk in Omaha, Neb., contributed to this report.
