Dulles Airport To Get $35M From Feds For Terminal Upgrades

DULLES, VA — Washington Dulles International Airport is among more than 100 airports across the country receiving a combined $970 million in federal funding to make terminal improvements, the Transportation Department said Thursday.

The $35 million grant to the airport in Northern Virginia will partially fund the 14-gate, 400,000-square-foot terminal building including direct connections to the Aerotrain, which helps move passengers throughout the airport, and indirect connection to the Metrorail.

U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released a statement about the airport grant: “Dulles Airport is a beacon for both domestic and international flights, and has expanded rapidly over the past decade. This funding will improve travel for passengers and ensure that the airport stays functional and safe while continuing to meet flight demands.”

Norfolk International Airport also received a grant through the program — $6 million to partially fund the construction of a new Federal Inspection Service facility to meet the U.S. Customs and Border Protection requirements.

The airport terminal funding, provided under bipartisan infrastructure legislation passed in late 2021, will be distributed to 114 airports in 44 states and three territories for terminal projects that improve passenger experience, lower the cost of travel and create competitive jobs.

Projects vary from those creating new baggage systems to enlarging security checkpoints to expanding gate capacity, and modernizing terminals and ground transportation, according to the announcement by the Transportation Department.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the improvements “will make it easier for passengers to get to and through airports, create jobs, and increase safety for all.”

The awards are on top of the nearly $2 billion for airport terminals announced by the Transportation Department over the past two years. Most of those terminal projects are under construction.

The funding comes from the Airport Terminal Program, one of three aviation programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.