DULLES, Va. (7News) — Tuesday morning, United plans to launch its first flight from Dulles Airport’s brand-new Concourse E, which airport officials said will improve the travel experience.
Although the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority hasn’t announced the final budget yet, it estimated the new concourse at $700 million this past summer. It will be used exclusively by United Airlines – which has a hub at Dulles – and will be able to handle up to seven large and up to 14 smaller planes at a time.
“We’ll be putting our biggest aircraft out of there, and we’ll be doing it starting tomorrow,” said United Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella after a grand opening event Monday morning.
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Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and other federal officials joined United and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority to officially open Concourse E Monday. The first flight to depart the new concourse is scheduled to fly to Chicago at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, followed by a 12:20 p.m. flight to Tokyo. United said Monday they plan to use the new concourse for both domestic and international flights.
“It’s a lot bigger, wider, and brighter,” Dulles Airport Manager Richard Golinowski said of the new concourse. “[We made it wider] so people don’t feel like they’re scrunched when [they’re sitting to wait for their plane]. We want them to have a very comfortable experience. We’re trying to reduce stress as they’re getting ready to take their trip.”
Golinowski said the new concourse has far more ports to charge electronic devices and features new restaurants and stores, including one where travelers can play video games.
Concourse E will also feature the second-largest “United Club” in the country, with only the one in Houston larger.
United said it currently offers 250 daily flights from Dulles Airport. Thanks to the new concourse, it plans to expand that to 300 daily flights. But the airline has even grander plans for the future at Dulles.
“We’re going to have facilities that can accommodate at least 400 flights per day. When we get there is to be determined,” Nocella said. “We are super committed to Dulles – always have been, and always will be.”
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At the urging of the Trump administration, Dulles Airport has begun a $22.5 billion effort to remake large parts of the aging airport, which opened in 1962.
The first major parts of that effort are expected to be completed within the next seven years and include a major renovation of the main terminal and the A/B gates, as well as a connector between the A/B gates and the main terminal.
Eventually, the plan calls for the famous – or, depending on your opinion of them, infamous – people movers to go away, but they will remain for now and even be used by international travelers who arrive at Concourse E in order to get to customs. However, all other travelers, including those departing on international flights, can take Dulles Airport’s Aerotrain to and from Concourse E.
This post was originally published on Fox 45 by Sinclair Media Group.
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