Dulles Airport (IAD) has come a long way in the last few years. Concourse B is fully built out, there is now an underground walkway to Concourse B, the fourth runway is open, the new ATC tower is open, the Z gates are open, and more. In addition, of course, the new security checkpoint is now open, which has made the Eero Saarinen main terminal a lot more spacious and beautiful, and next month the underground train will open linking the main terminal with Concourses A, B, and C. The first part of the International Arrivals Building renovation is complete, and within the next two years the baggage carousels will be replaced and the entire IAB will be in great shape. All of this will occur as construction is ongoing for the Silver Line, which will link IAD with the Washington Metro system by the end of this decade.

All of these are amazing accomplishments, and travelling from IAD is much nicer now than it was a few years ago. However, one MAJOR negative for the entire airport is the state of Concourse C/D. I travelled from there last week. It is such a throwback to the 1980s, and is not well suited for the global hub operation that United has at IAD. It is almost sad seeing United flights depart to such global destinations as London and Tokyo from the old gates of Concourse C. The place feels "temporary" in every sense of the word...But it has been over twenty years since it opened now!

I know that the aeroTrain Concourse C station was built at the site of the future mid-field Concourse that will eventually replace C/D. Does anybody know when United or MWAA might finalize plans to start construction on this? With the aeroTrain set to open (hopefully) in January, there will be no "major" construction projects going on at Dulles so it seems to be a good time to start tackling the last major problem. I know that there was some issue as to how responsible MWAA should be for funding since it will not be a common-use facility, but United can't be expected to tackle such a huge terminal construction project alone. MWAA and United need to get their act together because although the current setup works, it is not the most conducive for United's IAD operation going forward. Also, the aeroTrain will eventually have to be extended to the new Concourse D, which will likely be a major construction project by itself.

If MWAA and/or United build a Concourse C/D replacement, United can consolidate its entire operation there, thus freeing Concourse A, which can be shut down. A future Concourse C/D can look like the McNamara Terminal at DTW, which is a world-class facility. Combined with all of the other amazing changes going on at IAD, the airport deserves a new Concourse C/D. If and when it is built, IAD will be one of the nicest airports in the United States.

One other thought: If and when MWAA extends the aeroTrain towards the new Concourse D, they should consider adding a separate track for a dedicated train to bring passengers to the IAB facility.

This is my first post on FlyerTalk. I look forward to hearing your comments!