With the summer travel season taking off Memorial Day weekend, Dulles International and Reagan National airports are ready to launch summer vacations to destinations across the United States and around the world. More than 20 million passengers are expected to travel through the region’s two airports from May through August, with 11 million of those customers using Dulles International.

This summer, Dulles will have 46 airlines serving more than 150 destinations, more than any other airport in the region. Leading up to Memorial Day weekend, new international routes are being launched by United Airlines to Nice, France; Venice, Italy; and Dakar, Senegal. With more than 60 nonstop international destinations, Dulles is the National Capital Region’s airport of choice for traveling to other countries.

What’s new at the airports:

• New routes and new airlines at Dulles – United Airlines is introducing three international routes and restarting several seasonal destinations; Frontier is adding three new routes and Allegiant is adding four, and WestJet resumed its seasonal routes to Canada. Additionally, Contour became Dulles’ newest airline, launching to two new destinations.  
• American Airlines is offering more departing flights from DCA this summer compared to last year. The top five summer destinations American serves nonstop from the airport include flights to New York City (LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy), Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth, Boston, Charlotte and Chicago.
• Forty-seven new or renovated shopping/dining locations have opened at Reagan and Dulles since 2023. Local favorites including Ben’s Chili Bowl, Gatsby’s Tavern and Rappahannock Oyster House have added Dulles locations.
• Reagan National has added more seating options throughout the terminals, including more power outlets to support travelers’ charging needs. New, larger restrooms have also begun opening.
• Some airlines at Reagan offer Touchless ID at TSA PreCheck for those who have enrolled with their airlines – allowing people to leave their IDs in their wallet or purse at the checkpoint.

With more passengers than ever at Dulles and the sustained popularity of Reagan, the Airports Authority recommends that passengers follow some important tips:

• Reserve parking well in advance and join the PassPark rewards program. Earn points toward valuable rewards when parking at the airports.  
• Use the free Mobile Passport Control, or “MPC app,” for a faster trip through U.S. Customs when returning from an international trip. Global Entry also offers a free app that can save time at the airport.
• Use Metrorail or the Airports Authority’s Kiss and Fly drop-off at Reagan or Dulles to avoid traffic. In addition, there will be more police activity at the terminals to keep traffic moving on crowded curbsides.
• Don’t forget to bring a Real ID or other TSA approved ID to the checkpoint to avoid delays.