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Economic uncertainty, federal workforce reductions, tariffs and a disruption-filled winter are not stopping development at Dulles International Airport, where officials are advancing a sweeping slate of projects.

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority President and CEO Jack Potter acknowledged at the authority’s March 19 meeting that 2025 had begun as “a turbulent year,” but said he remained optimistic about Dulles’ long-term direction.

“I’m still kind of bullish on where we’re going,” Potter said.

The meeting was the board’s first since the Jan. 29 aircraft crash and subsequent flight restrictions at Reagan National Airport. It also came as the effects of the Trump administration’s federal downsizing and tariff policies began to emerge, while heavy winter weather disrupted air travel locally and nationwide.

Potter said both airports had felt the effects, particularly Reagan National. He expressed hope that spring weather and an easing of economic challenges would bring improvement.

Dulles may face larger obstacles ahead, but its passenger numbers have remained steady. January enplanements were 14.6% higher than a year earlier and 10.7% above projections. In 2024, the airport recorded the busiest year in its history, surpassing a record set two decades earlier.

The 17-member authority board also welcomed Kim Clark Pakstys and Paul Sheridan Jr., whom Gov. Glenn Youngkin selected to fill two of Virginia’s seven seats.

Master plan nears a vote

Chief Capital Development Officer Roger Natsuhara briefed board members on projects that could reshape Dulles through much of the next decade.

The board is expected to consider the airport’s master plan in the coming months. If approved, it will be submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration for review, likely during the summer.

Before that can happen, airport officials plan to hold a workshop for board members to examine the proposal.

“We’re certainly looking forward to getting that nailed down on our calendar,” said board member Marc Uncapher, co-chair of the strategic development committee.

Work has already started on the first phase of the new Midfield Concourse E/F. That phase remains on schedule for completion in 2026, while two additional phases are expected to be finished by 2031.

Runway, baggage and mobile-lounge work planned

A complete reconstruction of the 11,500-foot Runway 1R-19L is scheduled to begin in early 2027 and take about a year.

The runway was among the originals in service when Dulles opened in 1962. Natsuhara said the project will mark its first reconstruction in more than 60 years. Flights will use the airport’s two other north-south runways while the work is underway.

An upgrade to Dulles’ baggage system is also expected to start in 2027.

Meanwhile, the authority is rebuilding its fleet of plane mates, commonly called mobile lounges, so they can remain in service until underground trains connect the entire airport.

Natsuhara said the vehicles will probably need to undergo one more rehabilitation cycle. Refurbishing the current fleet was judged to be the most economical and least risky option.

China flights remain a strategic priority

Restoring strong air service between Dulles and China is considered important to the airport’s economic health, and officials reported signs of progress.

Air China resumed nonstop flights between Dulles and Beijing earlier in March, offering twice-weekly service between the two capitals for the first time since the pandemic began.

The carrier restarted flights between the cities in November 2023, but those trips included stops in Los Angeles in both directions.

The new nonstop routes have the longest scheduled flight times of any Boeing 747 service worldwide: 14 hours and 40 minutes from Beijing to Dulles and 16 hours and 55 minutes on the return flight.

China is the only country whose Dulles service has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, making it “a strategic focus,” said Chryssa Westerlund, the authority’s executive vice president and chief revenue officer.

An authority delegation recently visited three Chinese cities to promote the airport. Westerlund said those meetings were already producing positive results.

Reagan National terminal replacement advances

At the same meeting, board members approved an eight-year contract worth up to $108 million for architectural, engineering and planning work ahead of the proposed replacement of Terminal 1 at Reagan National.

The FAA had already approved the contract as required.

The replacement terminal is planned with nine gates, matching the existing total. The current circular building, nicknamed the “banjo terminal” because of its shape and long connecting passageway, serves Southwest, Frontier and Air Canada.