halls120

You're mistaking the MWAA for a competent organization.

blockski

They were deep into planning, with a completed EIS and everything. I gather they were about to start, then 9/11 happened, and then UA got cold feet, then the Great Recession hit, and everything changed.

http://www.metwashairports.com/sites...ust%202002.pdf

Since then, however, costs are a bigger concern for IAD, so they would likely want to revise this plan.

am1108

I know this is pure speculation on my part, but is this a glimmer of hope that UA will at least start negotiating with MWAA to build a new C/D concourse at IAD?

Senior Project Manager ? Corporate Real Estate Job in Washington, DC United

catocony

Until the Metro extension is completed, MWAA isn't going to do anything new at either Dulles or National. Rates on the Toll Road are about to go through the roof to pay for the extension - what was $0.50 15 years ago is $2.50 today and going up to north of $3.50 soon. So, they are not swimming in cash right now. That said, the design for the new C/D has been completed for years, which is why the Train to Nowhere ends up where it does. A lot of design work and building plans are done, so as soon as United ponies up the money to lease a new terminal for 30+ years, they could get bids out pretty quickly.

As I always say though, I once took a school field trip to check out the "temporary" terminals when they were about to open. That was in 1985, I believe. The "permanent" terminal was supposed to begin construction around 1990. 33 years later, they're still temporary.

DELee

And for those coming to the summer mini-DO, we'll talk more about it directly with UA...

David

drewguy

Was going to suggest this will be a *great* opportunity to ask questions about this. I can't attend, but hopefully someone who does can report back on this.

am1108

Well, MWAA just started Project Journey which is going to renovate a lot of the infrastructure at DCA, not to mention a brand new terminal that they are spending $1BN on. So I wouldn't necessarily say that MWAA isn't doing anything at National. Which is when I saw the job opening last night I thought that UA is probably looking to at least start evaluating options for a new terminal at IAD and we might finally see a permanent terminal.... in our lifetime of course

UA_Flyer

SAN 1K

DCA writer

Indeed, we did! To sum up my conversations with United's IAD station manager and chief pilot:

• Everybody hates the C/D concourse. Fun fact: Because it consists of separate facilities joined together (I guess that's why you have those corridors that slope up or down), it doesn't have any kind of central HVAC system. However, people in Chicago may not quite realize how bad it is.

• UA is no longer neglecting IAD: Flights and passenger volumes are way up, and management seems to have realized the asset they have for north-south connecting flights that would earlier have gone to EWR, where they can be the first ones delayed or cancelled.

• But United still doesn't like the debt at IAD, in particular that for the Aerotrain. I've tried to look up when that comes off the books but haven't been able to find out; however, since that project began in 2003, it can't be that far off. Right? The airline is also concerned about IAD's cost per emplanement, although that's been trending down. Per this Feb. 2018 report in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, at $20.95 it's now below EWR's $28.05 (and EWR has its own expensive projects coming, the Terminal A replacement and the PATH extension). Finally, UA really favors keeping the DCA perimeter rule.

• My sense is that UA both wants to see MWAA retire a bunch more debt and agree to kick in more to replace the C/D concourse. And if the airline's going to build out an extension to the C concourse for a Polaris Lounge, it must not see that coming in the next several years. Marginal upgrades to C/D may happen in the meantime - the station manager mentioned things like bigger windows and higher ceilings.

In short, IAD has at least a few more years to go serving as America's most persuasive argument for flying with *G status.

halls120

A few more years? Try a few more decades. If they are going to spend $$ to raise the ceilings and install bigger windows, that means decades, not years before the new concourse is built.

fezzington

They're also in the process of renovating the Flight Attendant offices and related areas. Not a small project at all as it'll be about a year's worth of construction once it's all finished.

halls120

Just another nail in the coffin for a new C/D concourse. As long as UA has no perceived competition there, customers will be treated accordingly.

DCA writer

From what I've heard, you all could use some new digs there.

mellon

United needs to fly more of its OWN planes from IAD rather than the regional junk. Why build a new terminal if you have no real planes.