Subsequent years noticed an growth of the primary terminal, a brand new runway, a brand new management tower and parts of an automatic practice system. Officers final yr minimize the ribbon on a long-awaited Metrorail hyperlink. And shortly, it will likely be dwelling to the biggest U.S.-based photo voltaic farm at an airport.
Now, a group of planners on the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is engaged on a brand new imaginative and prescient for Dulles — one that would vastly develop the airport’s footprint and embody development of a brand new runway, concourses and completion of the AeroTrain system. The brand new grasp plan additionally might incorporate the following era of transportation choices — electrical vertical takeoff and touchdown automobiles, often known as air taxis — whose backers say might provide a sooner, extra environmentally pleasant journey possibility.
“It’s a really thrilling time,” mentioned Gregg Wollard, planning division supervisor at MWAA, which manages Dulles and its sister airport, Reagan Nationwide. “Due to modifications in expertise, the business, airways, airline tools and passenger habits, we thought that this was an opportune time to create a brand new grasp plan.”
At an October workshop, officers unveiled three potential designs for concourses, whittled down from greater than a dozen. Two of the proposed buildings would depend on the AeroTrain system to move folks to their gates. One idea would join the brand new concourse to the primary terminal, giving vacationers the choice of strolling to their gates or taking the practice. One other can be an “H” formed construction with prolonged “arms” from the ends. The third is most just like the airport’s present structure, with parallel concourses.
Wollard mentioned work on the grasp plan is predicted to be accomplished by the top of 2024. The subsequent steps embody getting suggestions from native governments, group members, airways and different stakeholders. MWAA additionally would want to pick out a ultimate idea for a brand new concourse. Wollard mentioned the buildout could possibly be years away, given the necessity for environmental influence and different research.
The brand new designs come practically two years after airport officers introduced plans for a 14-gate, 400,000-square-foot concourse. The three-level house can be the equal of three soccer fields, Wollard mentioned. A contract has been awarded and officers hope to finish development by 2026.
Envisioning how Dulles would possibly evolve over 25 years is a once-in-a-generation alternative, Wollard mentioned. The final grasp plan for the airport was accomplished in 1985.
Whereas different airports are struggling to seek out house for growth, Dulles sits on about 12,000 acres — greater than one-quarter the scale of the District. Dulles is the one main East Coast airport with room to develop.
In 2019, the variety of passenger enplanement at Dulles was 12.3 million. By 2045, Wollard mentioned conservative projections have that quantity rising to 17 million — a time when the Washington area is predicted to have 1.5 million extra residents.
MWAA started the grasp plan course of in 2019 and continued to refine it because the coronavirus pandemic introduced journey to a digital standstill.
“Throughout covid, when lots of people had been pulling again on evaluating issues, we took a possibility to be proactive,” Wollard mentioned. “We knew that we would have liked to deal with issues earlier than covid. We might see some issues which are some weaknesses on the airport and issues that we needed to deal with, so we mentioned ‘let’s use this as a possibility so we will keep in entrance of the curve fairly than play catch-up.’”
Wollard mentioned sustainability is among the many high priorities as airport officers transfer ahead with the planning course of.
Classes realized in the course of the pandemic additionally will affect designs, he mentioned. Private house turned necessary to vacationers, which could change how seating areas are configured. As folks have grown extra accustomed to utilizing kiosks to finish duties, resembling checking in for flights and checking luggage, there is likely to be much less want for house to accommodate ticketing brokers.
“These sorts of traits are actually necessary to us,” he mentioned.
