United Invests Over Half a Billion Dollar in Washington Dulles

United Airlines and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) have celebrated the airline's growth and airport construction developments of the much-anticipated, more than half a billion-dollar Concourse E that will transform the customer experience over the coming years at Washington Dulles International Airport.

The 435,000-square-foot, 14-gate concourse will include an expansive new United ClubSM location and state-of-the-art customer amenities that are expected to debut in late 2026.

The new Concourse E is made possible in part due to collaboration between United and MWAA, and local and federal funding such as grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for airport improvement projects that will help facilitate Dulles' expansion.

United is the D.C. region's largest airline, with more than 8,000 local employees and more flights and destinations than any other carrier. As part of United's ongoing growth and commitment to the region, United will open a new flight attendant training center in 2025, and the airline is expanding its network even further with exciting new destinations and is currently operating 25 percent more flights as compared to 2023.

United has invested more than $32 billion across its business since 2021. This Dulles expansion and modernization follows similar investments at airport facilities in Denver, Houston, and Newark, and is part of the airline's United Next plan to invest in infrastructure, people, and technology.

New Concourse to Modernize Dulles

Construction is underway on the new Concourse E, which will exclusively house 14 dedicated United gates that will bring additional space to accommodate United Next's new widebody and mainline planes, which will continue to debut over the coming years.

The modernized concourse will greatly enhance the Dulles experience for United customers, including adding direct and easy access to the airport's existing Aerotrain station that allows for smoother transport between the main terminal and other concourses. The United gates will feature the latest traveler amenities and technology, expansive gate seating, along with concessions and retail space.

The concourse will also be home to a new 40,000-square-foot United Club. This will be one of the largest United Club locations in the network and will subsequently increase the United Club square footage space at Dulles by 70%.

The 14-gate concourse is one phase of a long-term, multi-phase project for United's growth at Dulles that is part of MWWA's master plan for the airport's future.

Expanded Flight Network Connects D.C. to Even More Destinations

United is the D.C. region's largest airline, offering more flights and destinations than any other carrier. As a result of its ambitious United Next growth plan, the airline continues to expand its flight network out of Dulles. To-date, United has grown to more than 250 daily departures with plans to grow to nearly 280 daily flights by April 2025.

This year, United launched 13 new domestic routes from Dulles – that is more new domestic routes than any other U.S. carrier has added from any U.S. airport this year. Among those new routes are the only nonstop service from the D.C. region to Anchorage, Alaska and Mobile, Alabama, as well as upcoming service to Palm Springs, California that begins December 19.

United serves as a crucial gateway between our nation's capital and the rest of the world, this includes nonstop service to over a dozen world capitals from Accra and Brussels to Mexico City and Tokyo and places in between. This summer, United will add a new world capital destination with the addition of its inaugural nonstop service to Dakar, Senegal beginning May 2025.

As United's operations at Dulles continue to grow as a transatlantic gateway to the world, this summer United will be the first airline to offer the Washington region nonstop service to Nice, France and Venice, Italy. 

Local Impact

As one of the largest employers in Loudoun County, United is an employer of choice for many across the Washington region. With its historic growth, in the last two years, the airline hired more than 30,000 people systemwide and plans to hire about 9,000 more in 2024, including more than 700 people in the Washington D.C. area.  

United has called Washington Dulles International Airport home for nearly four decades and continues to grow and invest in the Washington region. United recently announced construction is underway to open a new 20,000-square-foot state-of-the-art Inflight Training Center near Dulles Airport in 2025. This facility is yet another example of United's commitment to provide the latest and most modern training resources and support for its people.

While United connects the Greater Washington region to the world, its more than 8,000 D.C. area employees are pillars in the communities in which they work and live. Year-round United teams volunteer to pack meals for local nonprofits, mentor area students about the breadth of career opportunities in aviation, and help raise funds for various local organizations, including nearly $4 million to Washington area non-profits, partners, and organizations in 2023.  

United also deepened its commitment in the region through D.C.'s sports culture, recently becoming the Official Global Airline Partner of the Washington Capitals, Mystics, and Wizards. United is also the Founding Partner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment's upcoming transformation to help revitalize downtown D.C. as a world-class sports and entertainment destination.

United's significant presence in the D.C. area allows the airline to serve as a critical partner to the federal government on national initiatives from its Dulles hub, including assisting the U.S. military in evacuating thousands of refugees from Afghanistan, as well as donating commercial flights to help deliver baby formula across the nation to American families during an unprecedented shortage.