Dulles Is Getting a Terminal for Passengers Who Would Rather Skip the Terminal

Washington Dulles is set to get something the Washington area has never had: a premium terminal built for passengers on regular commercial flights who want to bypass the main concourse entirely. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority announced on October 20 that it has selected daa International to develop, lease and operate the facility, which the authority describes as the first of its kind in the region.

The plans call for a 37,000-square-foot building on a 1.2-acre site near the airport’s cargo buildings. According to details released with the announcement, guests would get their own parking lot and entrance, private security screening, separate suites and lounges, personalized check-in and baggage handling, and premium vehicle transport out to the gates and aircraft.

It is worth being clear about what this is not. The project is a paid upgrade for commercial travelers rather than a private-jet terminal, which is a different product that serves a different market. Airports elsewhere have experimented with similar concierge-style services, but a dedicated standalone building at a major U.S. hub is a bigger commitment than a lounge or a fast-track lane.

Nobody will be walking through the doors soon. daa International is expected to take about 30 months to build the terminal and will then operate it for an initial 20-year term. Pricing and access rules have not been detailed in the coverage so far. MWAA executive Chryssa Westerlund framed the idea as giving passengers the option to choose an airport experience that fits their needs.

Sources: Airline Geeks, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority