DULLES, VA — Washington Dulles International Airport opened its first new concourse in nearly two decades Tuesday, adding 14 United Airlines gates, new restaurants and shops and direct access to the airport's AeroTrain system.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and United Airlines unveiled the 435,000-square-foot Concourse E during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday ahead of the first passenger flights Tuesday.
The new concourse includes seating areas with natural lighting, charging stations, restrooms, a pet relief area and a United Club that can accommodate more than 600 travelers, according to a release from United Airlines. The United Club at Dulles is now the airline's second largest.
Dining and retail options include several Northern Virginia businesses, among them Falls Church-based Ellie Bird, Honor Brewing, Good Company Doughnuts & Café and MurLarkey Distilled Spirits. Other options include Bonchon, Dos Toros Taqueria, Rusty Taco, Starbucks and Gameway, a video gaming lounge.
The new gates can accommodate domestic and international flights, with configurations that allow either one large aircraft or two smaller planes.
United Airlines expects the additional gates to help increase its service from Dulles to more than 300 daily departures by next summer, expanding connections to other destinations by nearly 30 percent during peak travel periods.
The new facility is the first of four planned phases of Concourse E construction, part of the airport's broader $20 billion-plus Dulles Global Gateway modernization program.
Future phases are expected to add as many as 36 additional United gates, expanded customs facilities and a larger United Polaris lounge. The broader airport transformation also calls for replacing the aging Concourses C and D, expanding the AeroTrain system and eventually retiring the airport's mobile lounge vehicles.
The concourse is part of a modernization effort expected to continue over the next decade, aimed at accommodating growing passenger traffic and expanding Dulles' role as an international aviation hub.
See more: New VIP Terminal Coming To Dulles International Airport
See more: Private Jet Travel Through Shares, Prepaid Cards Coming To This NoVA Airport
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Ashburn Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.