IAD Z Concourse
 

I apologize if this has already been covered before but I could not find any information when I performed a search.

I have noticed that the Z concourse at Dulles airport is almost complete. Does anyone know which airline will be using this concourse?

Thanks ...
 

I've been meaning to ask this question myself for the longest time and keep forgetting to post it ... When I left on Sunday they were testing the jetways and on Thursday when the people mover went by the desks/screens/chairs look like they are all set. They had card readers like UA uses but no signage indicating who is getting them. Fingers crossed that the NY UAX flights get switched to this area.

What is terminal Z?

At IAD, there are terminal gates that are down a level and just beyond where the people movers for A/C pick up folks. They were just rebuilt and haven't opened yet. The gate numbers are up and are preceded by a Z, thus Terminal Z :)

I didn't realize what forum this was in ... Moderator, this should be in the IAD/DCA airport forum.

Heck, I'll go with fingers crossed that ALL UX flights get switched to that area, although I know that's not possible if these are the gates I'm thinking of.

As this is not specifically related to UA or UX, lets see if people hanging around the IAD/DCA forum can assist.


Moderator2

Will they drop "Terminal T" then?

Is that these gates?

http://www.metwashairports.com/d2/pr...al.htm#T-Gates

Yes, that's them - they were assigned Z numbers for some reason on their jetways. Do you know what airline is getting them? UAX had dibs on a lot of the old "temporary" T-gates

The hold rooms are tiny... I thought perhaps IAD would use the new T/Z gates for international arrivals (to streamline the FIS process), but clearly a jumbo-load of pax will not fit in the small terminal space by each gate area!

Perhaps these new gates will be used to replace the "H" gates? When the new train system opens, I presume IAD would retire it's moonbuggies... so it would make sense to move the phantom gates to a terminal.

The jetways look like they are set up for CRJs, but I could be wrong about that ... they don't seem tall enough for a large jet like ones used for international flights you're referring to. Besides, I doubt those airlines want to pay for the gate, that's why they use the people movers today.

If you read the fine print, it states "new T gates to replace the existing temp T gates, which will be torn down" or some such. I would think the same guy who has the old will get them.

One must keep international passengers in quaranteen until through im/customs. IAD is busy enough international to either dedicate an entire terminal or two to incomming, to run separate channels from each egress point to im/cust or to continue using peoplemovers, same as most other large int'l airports.

Don't picture shuffling 747's around after the passenger dump, and paying the crew for the extra hour.

Such "suffling" was common practice by CO at EWR until their new FIS opened just recently. It's not uncommon in the industry.

But, as I said, the new T gates are too small to support international. I understand that. I just would have thought it would be wise for IAD to make those gates for the random INTL traffic so that they can easily funnel arrivals into FIS without sending out moonbuggies for each arrival.

You live in Bethesda so you're familiar with IAD ... but then you use

"wise" and "IAD" in the same sentence when referring to the management at Dulles. You should know better, they don't care about what makes sense for the passengers and seem to be out to make UAs life as miserable as possible with fewer shuttles and longer trips out to C/D. :mad:

I asked an airport authority manager about the Z-gates and their intended use. He indicated that they will be "overflow" gates - not specifically assigned to any airline.

Also, the current H (for Hardstand) area will disappear as an extension to the B concourse is completed. It appears that the groundwork for that has started.

I don't fly UA -- that's your problem :) I am a BIG fan of IAD. But, I fly CO very loyally, and it's an easy breeze through the new tunnel to B, dropping you right at CO's prime gates.

The twice I've flown UA since I've lived here, it was an entirely different experience. I don't wish UA on anyone... of course, IAD is a luxury compared to a connection at ORD!

Updating my earlier posting, I am now told that US Airways will be using the Z gates for all their flights by the end of August.

Will they abandon B?
 

Will they be using these in addition to there 2-4 B gates?

As I understand it, they will be giving up their B gates for the Z gates. I don't know who will taking their B gates.

Another update. The airport authority now says the US Airways will switch all their operationrs to the Z gates by August 1st.

if i were to bet...i'd say independence air. they're taking over the b concourse!

The MWAA web site now shows "Z" concourse gates in their terminal maps.

There is an effort by MWAA to eliminate the "moon-buggies" entirely once the new train system opens on or after 2009. Thus, it is my understanding that when US moves to the "Z" gates, they will start moving INT'L traffic currently served by "H" moon-buggies to the vacancies at B.

When you take the shuttle to C or D as it goes around the west end of the B Concourse you can see some serious excavations going on for an extention of the B Concourse into the Hardstand ("H" gates) area.

Look deep down into the pit - there's two tunnels, so I'm guessing they're building the train system (or tunnels for baggage carts). Of course, they could be extending B over top of it.

Yes, the deep pit which is transverse to the B concourse is for the train system. But follow the line of the B concourse past that and all of THAT excavation (in line with the B concourse and running down the middle of the hardstand area) is an extension of the B concourse.

Check out http://mwaa.com/d2/projects/additional.htm The 4 gate expansion described was completed a couple of years ago. The 12 gate expansion to the B concourse is what is happening now.

i flew into iad on sunday the 3rd, and saw CO express jets parked at the Z concourse.

On Saturday and Sunday, I noticed a few US CRJs at the Z gates, but their mainline planes were still over at B.

Z Gates are open
 

The Z Gates officially opened today with US Airways as the primary tenant.

Good for them, I just wish UA could get some decent space, too.

The gate areas look very nice! Now if they would just get moving on the demolition of C & D....

That would have been a good bet. I saw Independence Air Airbuses at the former US Airways B gates this morning...

I flew thru there (the Z gates) on connections to/from BLF earlier in the month. Gate areas are nice. No food on the concourse (as of yet... a Subway is under construction), but there's a Starbucks, Pizza the Hut, and a Fridays express a short walk outside of them where the moon buggies meet the main terminal.

I took some pics and will post when I can.

Hopefully they won't close the G Gates down and replace it with the Z gates. The G gates rule :)

At least one FTer likes the G gates...

But it would hard to replace the G concourse (perhaps 24 plane loading positions) with the 5 Z gates currently open (with 5 more presumably to come on the west side in a few years).

no offense, but anyone that likes the G concourse is nuts. that place is a zoo and flights are late all the time. i personally hate IAD...and am moving my UA $$$ to DCA. i think dca is much more convenient for me