Dulles Airport expansion: United Airlines leads $500M development

United Airlines expansion at Dulles

United Airlines is behind a brand new concourse at Dulles Airport that will have 14 gates accommodating international flights.

DULLES, Va. - More commercial flights are coming to Dulles International Airport thanks to a large investment from United Airlines.

Dulles Airport's new Concourse E is a $500 million project, with $200 million of that funding coming from federal grants. The new concourse will be 435,000-square-feet and house 14 gates. It will also be home to a new United Club lounge.

The new concourse is set to open in 2026 – right in the midst of an historic rebound by the airline industry.

"The Sunday after Thanksgiving wasn’t just a record. It was a record by a mile. We had 25% more revenue than we had in the second highest day in our history," said Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines.

Dulles is poised to set a new record this year, surpassing its 2005 peak of 27 million passengers.

Kirby says the only thing holding back the airlines is a shortage of federal air traffic controllers.

"We need to get it back to full staffing," said Kirby.