U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Tuesday said the federal government intends to undertake an approximately $22 billion rebuilding of Washington Dulles International Airport, describing the effort as a comprehensive transformation.
"Were going to rebuild Dulles," Duffy said at a Washington conference, adding the project would cost roughly $22 billion. He later told Reuters the project would amount to a "brand-new airport" but that specific details remain under discussion. Duffy declined to outline how much of the cost would be borne by the federal government.
The proposed revitalization, according to reporting by Airport Architecture, includes plans shared with airlines in May for a terminal expansion and four new concourses, with an estimated completion date of 2034. The airport serves as the principal international gateway for the national capital region and is a major hub for United Airlines.
Political engagement at the highest levels has preceded the announcement. President Donald Trump has advocated for an extensive overhaul of Dulles, expressing in December a preference for a new design, saying the airport "is not a good airport" and that it "should be a great airport... They have a great building and a bad airport." On February 25, the president convened a meeting on the airports future that included United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby; United handles nearly 70% of Dulles traffic. United did not immediately provide a comment on Tuesday.
Operational concerns have helped drive the push for renovation. Critics have long cited the need to modernize Dulles, pointing to slow people-mover vehicles that ferry passengers across the tarmac. The U.S. Department of Transportation in December criticized a persistent "jet fuel smell in the concourses" and described the number of gates in the main terminal as "paltry." Those assessments have contributed to momentum for change but have not settled questions about financing and execution.
The airport is managed by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority under a 50-year lease approved by Congress. The authority did not immediately comment on Tuesday. Separately, in 2025 the airport authority approved a master capital plan that calls for at least $7 billion in spending to overhaul Dulles over coming years.
Dulles, located roughly 25 miles (40 km) from the U.S. capital, first opened in 1962. The airport recorded a strong year in 2025, handling a record 29 million total passengers, an increase of 6.4% year over year. This fall, the facility is scheduled to open a new 435,000-square-foot (40,412-square-meter) concourse with 14 gates dedicated to United customers.
The airports main terminal carries the signature design of Finnish architect Eero Saarinen, noted for a sloping roof that rises dramatically on both sides. The planned program of expansion and new concourses aims to address both capacity constraints and long-standing operational complaints, though officials emphasize that many implementation details remain to be worked through.
As officials and stakeholders continue discussions, the project raises questions about the mix of public and private funding, procurement and construction timelines, and how the planned work will be phased alongside the airport authoritys existing capital commitments.
For now, the $22 billion figure stands as the federal plan communicated publicly, the airport authoritys separate $7 billion capital plan remains in place, and specifics about cost-sharing and project governance have yet to be finalized.