Trump unveils $22 billion plan to overhaul Dulles Airport, replace 'people movers' with train

The announcement

President Donald Trump unveiled a $22 billion plan to overhaul Washington Dulles International Airport on Wednesday, presenting a model in the Oval Office. He described the current facility as "horrible" and "impossible," calling the renovation "long-overdue." The airport, located 40 kilometers from Washington in Northern Virginia, is the main international gateway for the capital region.

America must have the best airports in the world.

The plan drew 30 architectural proposals, according to Trump, though earlier reports cited 21 submissions. The president said he personally selected the winning design.

What the plan includes

The overhaul will add four new concourses, replacing the aging C and D concourses that Trump called "basic disasters." A new underground train system will connect the terminals, eliminating the need for the airport's iconic mobile lounges. The main terminal, designed by Eero Saarinen and described by Trump as "the eighth wonder of the world," will be preserved as the entrance.

A new parking structure will hold 32,000 cars, which Trump claimed would be a world record, with travelers walking just 15 yards through "glass tunnels" to reach the terminal. Concept images show gold accents on coffered ceilings, modern chandeliers, and marble-looking flooring. The design also includes new restaurants, shops, and a large United Polaris Lounge. Standing next to United's CEO, Trump described the planned lounge as "a beautiful level of luxury." United Airlines, which operates a major hub at Dulles, said the new gates "will give travelers more spacious, comfortable seating areas, dedicated work areas and amenities in bright, expansive settings." The plan promises a larger U.S. Customs zone, more efficient screening, and improved baggage handling.

The end of the 'people movers'

The mobile lounges, in use since the airport opened in 1962, have long been both a nostalgic curiosity and a source of frustration for travelers. The lounges include a "plane mate" model that can elevate to connect directly with aircraft, but most passengers lump them all under "annoying people movers." Trump mocked them as "the Star Wars thing," saying "nobody knows what's going on."

between the trams and the Star Wars thing... nobody knows what's going on.

Travelers interviewed by the BBC acknowledged that modernization is needed but noted the people movers are "a little nostalgic." The new train system will replace them entirely.

Funding and timeline

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said United "will partake in part of the payment," though full funding details were not disclosed. He added that officials hope to begin work on Concourse A next spring, but project specifics remain to be determined.

We're trying to move at the speed of President Trump.

The Transportation Department issued a call for bids last year, and Trump allies have been pushing to remove the people movers for some time. In March, an architecture firm proposed naming a new terminal after Trump and rebranding the mobile lounges as Direct Jet Transports, an acronym matching the president's initials.

A broader makeover

The Dulles project is the latest in Trump's push to reshape Washington's landmarks. Previous proposals have included an Arch, changes to the Reflecting Pool, and renovations to East Potomac and the East Wing. An opinion piece in The Washington Post noted that the overhaul is long overdue and might have happened decades ago if the airport were not federally owned. The piece described the gold accents and gold-mirrored ceilings as "superfluous, but whatever."