United Airlines announced a massive expansion of its hub at Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD) today. United is the largest airline in the Washington D.C. region and has been growing rapidly in recent years. The much-anticipated, more than half a billion-dollar Concourse E project will add a 435,000-square-foot, 14-gate concourse to the airport. The new concourse will include an expansive new United Club and state-of-the-art customer amenities when it debuts in late 2026.
The Dulles expansion and modernization follows similar investments at airport facilities in Denver, Houston, and Newark, and is part of the airline’s United Next plan to invest in infrastructure, people, and technology.
United Airlines CEO, Scott Kirby, had this to say about the expansion at Washington-Dulles:
“Washington Dulles has emerged as a global gateway and these new investments will help deliver the world-class facility that our employees and customers deserve. Today is one of many milestone celebrations to come in United’s long-term commitment in advancing our Dulles hub.”
Concourse E is Coming to Washington-Dulles
The new concourse should greatly enhance the United passenger experience at Washington-Dulles. The Concourse will be connected to the airport’s existing Aerotrain station that allows for smoother transport between the main terminal and other concourses (no moon buggies here). The new gates are expected to feature the latest traveler amenities and technology, expansive gate seating, along with concessions and retail space.
The concourse will also be home to a new 40,000-square-foot United Club. This will be one of the largest United Club locations in the country and will subsequently increase the United Club square footage space at Washington-Dulles by 70%.
The 14-gate concourse is one phase of a long-term, multi-phase project for United’s growth at Dulles that is part of Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s (MWAA) master plan for the airport’s future.
Funding for the new Concourse came from United and MWAA, as well as local and federal funding such as grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for airport improvement projects that will help facilitate the expansion.
As a United frequent flyer, an upgrade at Washington-Dulles is long overdue. Most of the airline’s operations are from Concourses C and D which are “temporary” concourses that were built back in 1983. The space is dark, cramped, and dingy. Hardly a good representation of a global hub.
The expansion comes as United continues to expand its flight network out of Dulles. To-date, the airline has grown to more than 250 daily departures with plans to grow to nearly 280 daily flights by April 2025.
This year, United launched 13 new domestic routes from Dulles, including flights to Anchorage, Alaska and Mobile, Alabama, as well as upcoming service to Palm Springs, California. United is in a prime position for growth as Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) is capacity constrained and limited by a perimeter rule. Dulles is not affected by these restrictions and is the primary international gateway for the D.C. area.
Summary
United Airlines has poured a ton of resources into modernization efforts at many of its hubs in recent years. The addition of Concourse E at Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD) will finally give the airline a gleaming new terminal at one of its major international hubs.
The new Concourse E will add 14 gates for widebody and narrowbody aircraft along with a 40,000 square foot United Club which will almost double United’s lounge space at the airport. The project is expected to be completed in late 2026 which is only two years away.
I end up traveling to D.C. a few times a year and I’m looking forward to checking out the new concourse once its open, and checking in on the progress during construction.
