The board that oversees Washington Dulles International Airport approved President Donald Trump‘s yearslong renovation plan that includes axing “people movers” while preserving the iconic main terminal.
The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority approved a $19.9 billion funding package on Wednesday to fund the project set to begin in 2027. The board of directors had previously approved $4.4 billion for the overhaul, and the vote on Wednesday authorized an additional $15.5 billion for the construction package.
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Trump first announced the massive renovation last month, though he said the project would have a $22.5 billion price tag. Trump’s project cost reflects the multi-phase, long-term vision for the airport, which he has referred to as “incorrectly designed.”
The $19.9 billion plan approved by the MWAA secures funding for the five main construction packages that make up the renovation. The packages include revamping the main concourse, new concourses, and replacing airport shuttles, also known as “people movers,” with automated systems, and building an underground train system.
The largest portion of funding is slated for the main concourse renovation, with $6.2 billion approved for the project. The people-mover upgrade and concourse buildouts are expected to cost $3.75 billion and just shy of $10 billion, respectively. The full buildout project is expected to take 15 years.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the full renovation will also include a new parking garage with 32,000 parking spaces near the terminal, which Trump proclaimed will be “the largest garage in the world.”
The funding for the massive renovation is mainly being financed through bonds to be paid by airline companies, not federal funding, MWAA CEO Jack Potter said in the Oval Office.
TRUMP ANNOUNCES TWO-YEAR, $22 BILLION DULLES AIRPORT RENOVATION
“We’re very happy that United Airlines, the Air Force authority, and the other airlines have agreed to step up and fund this thing,” Potter said. “So this is not requiring federal dollars. This is going to be airport-generated dollars, airline contributions, which is phenomenal.”
The overhaul began during the Biden administration, when the $4 billion previously approved by the MWAA was used to begin construction of the new Terminal E. The Trump administration later accelerated the planning process for the full-scale revamping.
The Washington Examiner reached out to MWAA for comment.
