Trump Unveils Plans for Dulles Airport Overhaul, Citing Need for National Pride

President Trump on Wednesday unveiled ambitious plans to overhaul and expand Dulles International Airport, expressing a desire for the nation's capital to possess an airport that citizens can truly be proud of. During an Oval Office event, Trump presented a model of the proposed renovations, which aim to significantly modernize the aging facility.

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the nation's capital should have an airport in which citizens can take pride.

The overhaul includes adding or renovating more than 5 million square feet of space. Key features of the plan involve replacing the current "C" and "D" concourses, constructing a 32,000-space parking garage closer to the terminal, and introducing a central walking tunnel. The controversial "people movers," a system of mobile lounges long used at Dulles, will be removed and replaced with an air train.

"It's the worst airport," Trump stated, criticizing the current convoluted process for travelers. "You get off a bus, you go into a train, from the train you get onto another bus." The new design promises expanded parking, modern check-in areas, more efficient security screening, hotels, and a variety of new restaurants and shops, including a large United Polaris lounge.

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Really, it's an impossible airport. You get off a bus, you go into a train, from the train you get onto another bus. It's the worst airport.

Trump highlighted that the last major airport built in the United States was Denver in 1995, noting that it too has faced criticism. He expressed confidence that the Dulles renovation would elevate it to be "maybe the top, anywhere in the world." The president has taken a personal interest in large-scale construction projects, reportedly reviewing 30 proposals for the Dulles renovation. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed Trump's deep involvement in shaping the project's vision and design.

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For years, the United States has watched other major cities around the globe welcome travelers with grand and modern airports, yet, the last major airport built in the United States was Denver in 1995. And it hasn't gotten very great reviews. That's more than 30 years ago, so we're doing something with Dulles that's going to make it I think the top, maybe the top, anywhere in the world.

Financing for the massive undertaking, estimated at $22.5 billion, will be secured through bonds, with United Airlines and other carriers footing the bill. While Trump indicated the plan is "largely financed," some congressional approvals may still be needed. He described the project as "bipartisan," asserting that both Republicans and Democrats would agree on the necessity of replacing the current, widely criticized airport.

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the president was intimately involved in casting the vision and shaping the design.