Dulles International Airport has a main terminal (the “Main Terminal”) and four midfield concourses (Concourses A, B, C and D) that may be reached via an underground automated people mover (“AeroTrain”) system or mobile lounges that transport passengers to and from the Main Terminal. The Main Terminal is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. There are four runways at Dulles International Airport: 1C/19C – 11,500 feet; 1R/19L – 11,500 feet; 12/30 – 10,500 feet; and 1L/19R – 9,400 feet. The runways and associated taxiways are capable of handling aircraft up to Group VI, such as an A-380 aircraft and B747-8 aircraft.

The Main Terminal at Dulles International Airport has a total of approximately 1.3 million square feet of floor space, six aircraft gates (of which four are loading bridge equipped) referred to as the Z Gates, and the International Arrivals Building with a total floor space of nearly 268,000 square feet that provides customs, agriculture and immigration service facilities and can serve up to 2,400 passengers an hour. Concourses A and B are connected and together provide approximately 1.1 million square feet of floor space and accommodate hard-stand parking positions for 31 regional airline aircraft and 31 loading bridge equipped gates for international and domestic airlines. Concourse B gates are equipped with 41 loading bridges to accommodate large wide-body aircraft used primarily by international carriers.

Concourses C and D were constructed as separate buildings, but as passenger demand increased, more gates were constructed at both concourses, and the two concourses eventually were joined. They now have a combined total of approximately 923,000 square feet of floor space and 58 aircraft parking positions with 50 loading bridge-equipped aircraft gates operated by United Airlines.

Dulles International Airport has two gates that support the boarding and unloading of passengers from the upper and lower decks of the A-380 aircraft. The current runway/taxiway system operates under several FAA-approved modification of standards for Group VI aircraft. Group VI aircraft have specific operational requirements and routes that are approved by the FAA. As pavement along these routes is rehabilitated, it is required to be brought up to Group VI standards.

Dulles International Airport currently includes 10 airline lounges, four of which are operated by United Airlines, including a Polaris lounge. Additional lounges are operated by Air France, British Airways, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways. In addition, a Capital One lounge is located at the base of the historic air traffic control tower.

The Washington Dulles International Airport Metrorail Station connects Dulles International Airport to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area via the region’s Metrorail public transit system and is directly opposite the Main Terminal. An indoor pedestrian tunnel with moving sidewalks connects the Metrorail station to the Main Terminal’s ticketing and baggage claim levels. Ground transportation to Dulles International Airport is provided via taxi, transportation network companies (TNCs), which include Uber and Lyft, and shared vehicle and van services provided by concessionaires and limousines.

There are approximately 18,400 revenue-producing public parking spaces at Dulles International Airport. In addition, there are approximately 12,200 employee parking spaces.

There are six cargo buildings at Dulles International Airport, with a total of approximately 551,000 square feet of cargo space.

United Airlines maintains an aircraft maintenance hangar of sufficient size to accommodate two B-767 aircraft or a single B-787 or A-350 aircraft on land it leases from the Airports Authority.

The Smithsonian Institution operates the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on airport land. The Airports Authority has title to, and is required to maintain, two roadways that were built by the Smithsonian and must allow Udvar-Hazy Center patrons and invitees ingress to and egress from the facility.

Additional Background
 

Passenger Counts  

The airport’s most recent passenger counts, including breakdown of domestic versus international can be found here: Dulles Airport Overview

Passenger Conveyances  

The AeroTrain underground people mover system uses fully automated three-car trains that move passengers between the Main Terminal and Concourses A, B and C. Each train car has a design capacity of 72 passengers without accounting for luggage. Although there is no station at Concourse D, passengers can walk there through Concourse C or ride a mobile lounge shuttle.

The airport has 49 mobile lounges and plane mates, which supplement the AeroTrain system by providing direct climate-controlled shuttles that are driven across the airfield. Routes can be customized to meet changes in demand or as a back-up during an AeroTrain outage. They have a passenger capacity of 100 without accounting for luggage. Each vehicle has doorways that connect directly to planes or buildings, so passengers never have to go up, down or outside to board or disembark. Additional trips are provided as needed for remotely parked aircraft, special trips and secure VIP transportation.

• Mobile lounges (19 in the fleet) average 630 trips per day and are used for shuttle service between concourses. Standard routes include Main Terminal to Concourse D and Concourse A to Concourse D. During an AeroTrain outage, routes are added from Main Terminal to Concourse C, as well as Concourse A to Concourse C.
• Similar vehicles called plane mates (30 in the fleet) average 150 trips per day and can be raised and lowered to link with aircraft or buildings. They are primarily used as dedicated transportation to U.S. Customs processing in the airport’s International Arrivals Building, which processed 3,812,781 passengers in 2024.

Federal Requirements Regulating Passenger Flow

• Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, arriving international passengers at Dulles International Airport are required to be separated from domestic passengers until undergoing processing by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to enter the United States. Passengers with destinations terminating at Dulles are processed at the International Arrivals Building, which is accessed via a sterile corridor through the use of mobile lounges and plane mates.
• A sterile corridor at an airport is a secure pathway for passengers, post-security screening, leading from the security checkpoints to the gates, or for international arrivals, a dedicated controlled route to customs/immigration, keeping cleared passengers separate from the public and preventing contraband entry. It ensures people boarding planes or connecting flights remain "sterile" (with no access to anyone outside the secured area) and are managed in a highly secure zone, which is crucial for flight safety and immigration control.
• Exit lanes from the secure area must meet these TSA access control requirements.

Non-aeronautical Development  

Information on landside (airport land outside the airfield security perimeter) parcels available for development can be found below:

• Aeronautical and non-aeronautical land development opportunities are identified in the Master Plan Workshops 1, 2 and 3 exhibit boards can be viewed here. The alternative concourse layout concepts can be seen on page 15 of this deck from Workshop 2.  

Airport Master Plan

A significant update to Dulles International Airport’s Master Plan, which provides a long-term framework for the airport’s development, was adopted by in July 2025 by the Airports Authority’s board of directors. The document provides a comprehensive vision for development opportunities spanning the next several decades and is designed to keep Dulles in a strong position to accommodate the National Capital Region’s growing transportation needs.

Many concepts in the previous plan document, adopted in 1985, have already been realized. The newer revision considers the accelerating growth of passengers using Dulles in recent years, fueled by Silver Line Metrorail service as well as more airlines with increasing nonstop service to destinations around the world. The airport’s annual passenger activity is expected to grow more than 30 percent by 2030, when compared with 2024 figures.

• Dulles Master Plan Section 5 Alternatives Final Draft
• Airport Master Plan FAQs

The Airports Authority (MWAA) is a public body created by interstate compact (Compact) between the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia.  The Compact is codified in Virginia law at Virginia Code 5.1-152 et seq. and the District of Columbia law at D.C. Code 9-901 et seq.  Congress pre-approved the Compact by Public Law 86-153, and, in 1986, the United States, by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Transfer Act (Transfer Act), authorized the transfer of Ronald Reagan Washington National (Reagan National) and Washington Dulles International (Dulles International) Airports to the Airports Authority by long-term lease.  In 1987, the Airports Authority and the United States Department of Transportation executed a 50-year lease of the airports (Federal Lease).  In 2003, the term of the lease was extended an additional 30 years, and, in 2024, it was extended an additional 33 years.  Currently, the Airports Authority’s lease of the Airports will expire in 2100.

Under the Compact, the Airports Authority is created “solely to operate and improve [Reagan National and Dulles International] as primary airports serving the metropolitan Washington area” and is independent of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the District of Columbia and the federal government.

Under the terms of the Transfer Act and Federal Lease, the Airports Authority is subject to the following requirements related to the use and development of airport property:

• Airport property may be used only for “airport purposes,” which means (i) aviation business or activities; (ii) activities necessary or appropriate to serve passengers in cargo or air commerce; (iii) non-profit public use facilities that are not inconsistent with the needs of aviation; or (iv) a business or activity not inconsistent with the needs of aviation that has been approved by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
• In acquiring contract supplies or services for an amount estimated to be more than $200,000, or awarding concession contracts, the Airports Authority, to the maximum extent practicable, shall obtain complete and open competition through the use of published competitive procedures. The Airports Authority’s competitive procedures can be found in its Contracting Manual.  
• The Airports Authority must consult with the National Capital Planning Commission and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation before undertaking any major alterations to the exterior of the Main Terminal at Dulles International.  

Additionally, under the Compact and as an airport operator, there are various federal, state and Airports Authority requirements applicable to construction projects on airport property:

• Airports Authority board of directors approval is required for any contracts to acquire goods greater than $200,000, concession contracts and leases that generate revenue for the Airports Authority in excess of $3 million annually.
• Long-term exclusive concession contracts require Federal Aviation Administration approval under 49 CFR 23.75, and all concession contracts must comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 23.
• Projects may require review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Additional information about the environmental review processes is available in the section titled “Environmental Approvals for the CCP” on page 52 of the Official Statement, dated June 5, 2025.
• Construction projects must comply with the Airports Authority’s Building Codes Manual, Airports Authority Design Manual, and the Airports Authority Construction Safety Manual. Activities on Airport property also must comply with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Regulations and Airport Orders & Instructions.  
• There are federal and state requirements applicable to various Airports Authority operations and projects, depending on the type, scope, location, funding sources and other specifics of the project, including requirements related to approval of the Airport Layout Plan, procurement requirements such as 49 CFR Part 26, grant assurance obligations, and environmental permitting.
• The Airports Authority also must comply with requirements for construction and financing on-airport projects, and the use of airport revenues, set forth in the Airport Use Agreement and Premises Lease, which is the Airports Authority’s agreement with airlines governing the airlines use of Dulles International. 

The Airports Authority is empowered to adopt rules and regulations governing the use, maintenance and operation of its facilities. Regulations adopted by the Airports Authority governing aircraft operations and maintenance, motor vehicle traffic and access to Airports Authority facilities have the force and effect of law. The Airports Authority also is empowered to acquire real property or interests therein for construction and operation of the airports. It has the power of condemnation, in accordance with Title 25 of the Code of Virginia, for the acquisition of property interests for airport and landing field purposes. The Airports Authority has no taxing power.

The Airports Authority operates two enterprises – the Aviation Enterprise, under which it operates and maintains the Airports, and the Dulles Corridor Enterprise, under which it operates and maintains the Dulles Toll Road and constructed the Dulles Metrorail Project. The Airports Authority accounts for the two enterprises separately through the Aviation Enterprise Fund and the Dulles Corridor Enterprise Fund. The net revenues of the Aviation Enterprise Fund secure the bonds. Dulles Toll Road Revenues are treated as “released revenues” under the indenture and therefore are not part of the net revenues that secure the bonds. In addition, net revenues of the Aviation Enterprise Fund do not secure Dulles Toll Road revenue bonds, which are secured solely by the net revenues of the Dulles Corridor Enterprise Fund.

• Board & Members MWAA Board of Directors; Reference Materials  
• Master Indenture of Trust, Aviation Enterprise - An agreement between the Airports Authority and its trustee under which the Airports Authority issues bonds and specifies their maturities, interest rates, redemption provisions, form, exchange provisions, security and other terms. The indenture pledges certain revenues as security for repayment of the bonds.  It includes:
  • Article I, Section 101: Key definitions
  • Article II: Bonds
  • Article VI: Airports Authority covenants, including information regarding the pledge of revenues, rate covenant, insurance, tax covenants and retention of assets  
• Link to Amendment to Master Indenture of Trust, Aviation Enterprise which includes an amendment to the definition of “revenues”
• Official Statement - A document prepared by the Airports Authority and distributed to investors to provide disclosure with respect to one or more issues of bonds. Among other things, it provides material information about the bond issue, such as the purpose for the bond issue, a description of the bonds, summaries of all of the documents relevant to the financing, the security for the repayment of the bonds and financial, economic and other relevant information about the Airports Authority.
• Link to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Series 2025A Official Statement, which includes:
• Report of the Airport Consultant - The Official Statement includes an independent feasibility study, known as the Report of the Airport Consultant, which contains estimates of revenues, projected budgets and cash flow modeling, as well as narrative analysis as to the demand for facilities, economic viability, future prospects, market forces, risks and other items of interest.
• Sections of interest within the Official Statement:
  • Lease of the Airports to the Airports Authority - 12
  • Regulations and Restrictions Affecting the Airports - 14
  • Aircraft Noise Programs - 16
  • Application of Passenger Facility Charges - 27
  • The Airports Authority’s Facilities and Master Plans - 35
  • Facilities at Reagan National and Dulles International airports - 35
  • The Airports Authority’s Master Plans - 37
  • Capital Construction Program 44-49
    • The projects in the Airports Authority’s Capital Construction Program (CCP) were approved as part of the Airline Agreement. Under the CCP, the Airports Authority is constructing and will continue to construct many of the principal elements of the Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport Master Plans, as defined herein, which are necessary for the operation and development of the airports, and has renovated and will renovate certain existing facilities. While the CCP funds projects at both airports, the majority of the expenditures will occur at Dulles International Airport.
  • Environmental Approvals for the CCP (NEPA) – 52
  • See environmental approvals for the CCP (NEPA) under Regulatory Considerations (below)
  • Airport Use Agreement and Premises Lease - 71
  • The Airports’ Service Region - 76
  • Airlines Serving the Airports - 79
  • Airports Activity - 80
  • Historical Enplanement Activity - 80
  • ROAC Exhibits H1-H3, including passenger forecast
  • Definitions and Summary of Certain Provisions of the Indenture – Appendix B
  • Summary of Certain Provisions of the Airport Use Agreement and Premises Lease – Appendix C
• DOT/FAA Lease - MWAA Lease with Federal Government + Amendments 1-5.pdf
• Budget –
  • 2025 Budget (published, in effect through December 31, 2025) – 2025 Budget Book - Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
  • 2026 Budget (approved, not yet published) - WEBSITE - Approval of 2026 Budget.pdf
• Audited Financial Statements - 2024 ACFR - FINAL 3.28.25.pdf
• Airports Authority Regulations - MWAA  Final Amended and Restated Metropolitan Washington Airports Regulations - Nov 2022
• Summary of approved construction plan – see also Capital Construction Program (above). 

• Information on the review by the Virginia State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) can be found here: Federal & State Review – DHR and the links under About the Airports Authority (above).
• NEPA – Environmental Approvals for the CCP (NEPA) – 52
  • Portions of the CCP will require approval by the FAA in order to update the Airports’ Land Use Plans and the Airports’ Layout Plans (“ALPs”) or use federal grant funds and are subject to environmental review and approval as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”). The nature of the review depends on the potential for a project or a group of interrelated projects to produce a significant impact on the natural or human environment. The four levels of NEPA review are (1) categorical exclusions, (2) short form environmental assessments, (3) environmental assessments and (4) environmental impact statements (“EIS”).
    • A categorical exclusion is a determination by the FAA that the action or project falls into a category of actions that the FAA has identified, based on its experience, as having minimal likelihood of causing a significant environmental impact. Examples include replacement of airfield paving and extension of a taxiway. No additional environmental consideration is required for a project that falls within this category unless there are extraordinary circumstances that would cause the project to be reviewed further.
    • An environmental assessment is a formal, detailed evaluation of environmental conditions to determine whether a proposed action is likely to have a significant environmental impact. It involves the consideration of alternative actions, and the process includes an opportunity for public review and comment. The two outcomes of an environmental assessment are a Finding of No Significant Impact (“FONSI”) or a decision that an EIS is required.
    • A short form environmental assessment is a less detailed environmental assessment. It is used when a project cannot be categorically excluded from formal environmental assessment but when the environmental impacts of the proposed project are expected to be insignificant and a detailed environmental assessment would not be appropriate.
    • An EIS is prepared by the FAA when there is a federal action with a potentially significant impact on the environment. Public involvement is required to determine the scope of the environmental review and the issues and alternatives to be addressed. A draft EIS is published for public review and comment, including a public hearing. The FAA then prepares a final EIS and eventually makes a decision on the project.
    • NEPA documentation was completed for the majority in interest Concourse E/F – Tier 2 East project at Dulles International Airport, with the FAA issuing a FONSI on January 14, 2022. A programmatic environmental assessment for the majority of the airside CCP projects at Dulles International Airport is underway for Concourse E/F – Tier 2 Center and Federal Inspection Service (FIS) facility, Concourse E/F – Tier 2 (West), Concourse G/H – Tier 3, the Main Terminal Connector, and the South Central Utility Plant and associated apron and taxiways. Receipt of a FONSI is anticipated 12 months following the start of the environmental assessment.
    • Some of the CCP projects at Dulles International Airport, including the Concourse E/F – Tier 2 Center and FIS, Concourse E/F –Tier 2 West, South Utility Building, Concourse G/F – Tier 3, Concourse A Extension, TSA Security/Baggage Facility, International Arrivals Building and Main Terminal Connector, Concourse A/B to Concourse E/F tunnel, Concourse E/F to Tier 3 tunnel, Concourse B to Concourse E/F Aerotrain Expansion (West), Concourse E/F to Tier 3 Aerotrain Expansion (West), Fuel Storage Expansion, Terminal Area and ATCT Access Tunnel (South), and Southern-Most Crossfield Taxiway will require NEPA review prior to approval by the FAA. The Airports Authority is currently preparing environmental assessments to address these improvements. No significant environmental impacts are anticipated, and it is expected that the FAA will issue FONSIs for planned projects to meet the anticipated construction schedule.
• DOT/FAA Approval Process – see DOT/FAA Lease: MWAA Lease with Federal Government + Amendments 1-5.pdf