TRUMP UNVEILS US$22BN PLAN TO REBUILD WASHINGTON DULLES AIRPORT

US President Donald Trump announced a US$22 billion plan on Wednesday to rebuild Washington Dulles airport, replacing concourses, adding a large parking garage and preserving the landmark main terminal. Trump made the announcement at the White House, flanked by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby and Jack Potter, president of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. The plan includes 5 million square feet of new or renovated airport space. Trump described Dulles as "one of the worst airports anywhere in the world" and said the project would make it "maybe the best with some hard work".

The proposal forms part of Trump's broader programme of directing changes to Washington's infrastructure and buildings. According to reporting, Trump personally scrutinised 3D models from contractors competing for the overhaul and offered proposed changes. The scheme includes five new terminals to replace the airport's existing four, an expanded underground train system, and a parking garage designed to hold approximately 32,000 cars. The plan will be funded through municipal bonds. The airport authority had already approved a separate US$7 billion capital plan for Dulles before this announcement.

The overhaul represents one of the largest US airport renovation projects ever proposed. Trump said passengers would move through the site via a new spine running straight through the terminal into "massive ports", designed to allow planes to load without doubling back. The expanded train system would eliminate reliance on Dulles's "mobile lounges", the shuttles that currently ferry travellers across the tarmac to their gates. Transportation Secretary Duffy had confirmed in May that the federal government planned a US$22 billion overhaul of the airport, which serves as the main international gateway for the national capital region.