US President Donald Trump announced plans for a reconstruction project at Dulles International Airport that serves Washington DC, despite ongoing modernisation work at the airport.
Trump said his administration would oversee a significant redevelopment of the 1960's Eero Saarinen-designed airport terminal.
At a cabinet meeting at the White House, President Trump said: “We’re also going to rebuild Dulles airport because it’s not a good airport. It should be a great airport, and it’s not a good airport at all. It’s a terrible airport.”
Dulles serves as one of three major airports for the DC metropolitan area, and the state of its infrastructure has been a frequent subject of discussion among local residents.
Trump described the main terminal building as “incorrectly designed” but offered praise to Eero Saarinen, the architect responsible for its design.
He added: “We’re going to turn that around and we’re going to make Dulles airport - serving Washington and Virginia, Maryland, etc - we’re gonna make that into something really spectacular. We have an amazing plan for it.”
Last month, Trump’s motorcade made an unscheduled stop at Dulles airport. At the time, White House officials said that the president wanted to inspect the site with an eye towards possible future projects.
During the same Cabinet meeting, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted issues with the airport’s “people movers,” or mobile lounges, which transport passengers between concourses.
One such vehicle was involved in a crash in November. The system has drawn criticism from travellers and aviation experts alike.
Sheldon H. Jacobson, an expert in airport security and aviation infrastructure, questioned Trump’s announcement. “I can think of a lot higher priorities right now,” said Jacobson, citing overdue updates to national air traffic control systems.
He noted that significant modernisation work is already underway at Dulles, including construction on a new 14-gate concourse that will provide direct access to the AeroTrain system.
“His comments are non sequitur to the reality of this airport,” Jacobson said. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that ongoing use of people movers remains “a glaring weakness,” even as other aspects of the airport are “in very good shape.”
The Transportation Department issued an invitation for bids on a project that would create new terminals and concourses at Dulles.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority stated it would collaborate with the Department of Transportation to expand upon existing plans totalling $7bn for improvements at the facility.
