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Dulles International Airport has secured a $41.8 million federal grant for its new Concourse E, providing another major piece of funding as the first phase approaches completion.
The 14-gate concourse, designed for United Airlines, remains on track to open this fall, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. It will feature a direct connection to the underground AeroTrain, updated passenger amenities and expanded concessions.
Construction began in November 2023. The first phase carries a budget of about $900 million, with approximately $187.4 million now covered by federal grants. MWAA is financing the remainder through Municipal Airport System Revenue Bonds.
The grant comes from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Terminal Program, created under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed in November 2021.
For fiscal year 2026, the program awarded 133 grants totaling $970 million to airports across 45 states, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Monday, May 18.
Virginia airports received a combined $73.6 million. In addition to the Dulles award, the funding includes $26 million to replace an aging air traffic control tower at Manassas and $5.8 million to build a consolidated passenger screening checkpoint at Richmond International Airport.
Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner said the investments would improve safety, efficiency, accessibility and the passenger experience at the three airports.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam said the Dulles and Manassas awards would help maintain the region’s position as an international aviation hub. His 10th Congressional District includes both airport sites and Clifton in Fairfax County.
The funding announcement came one day before the FAA approved renaming Manassas Regional Airport as Washington Manassas Airport. The Prince William County facility is preparing to begin commercial airline service in 2027, and the new name is intended to reinforce its regional identity.
Bigger expansion plans remain in play
Concourse E is part of an updated Dulles master plan addressing renovations and expansions needed as annual passenger traffic is projected to exceed 90 million by the end of the century.
MWAA’s board adopted the plan in July. It anticipates beginning a second phase of the Concourse E, or Tier 2, project in 2028. That work would expand the 435,000-square-foot building with more gates and federal facilities for screening connecting passengers.
A third phase, planned for development between 2036 and 2045, would further increase capacity, create a western AeroTrain connection and demolish the existing Concourse C/D.
MWAA reportedly presented airlines with a separate proposal earlier this month that would accelerate the concourse’s complete buildout and target completion in December 2030. The authority has declined to discuss that proposal, pointing instead to the Trump administration, which has not made an official announcement.
The U.S. Department of Transportation sought developer proposals for possible terminal and concourse redesigns after President Donald Trump criticized Dulles as “incorrectly designed” during a Cabinet meeting in early December.
For now, Concourse E is expected to support an expansion of United’s international service. Planned passenger features include modernized seating and restrooms, 46,000 square feet of concession space, a 40,000-square-foot United Club lounge and direct AeroTrain access, offering travelers another option besides the airport’s mobile lounges.