Dulles, Virginia – November 10, 2026 -- United Airlines and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) are opening Concourse E at Washington Dulles International Airport on Nov. 10. The 435,000-square-foot facility adds 14 gates and is the airport's first new concourse in nearly two decades. United says the gates will let it fly more than 300 daily departures from Dulles next summer.
The concourse is the first visible piece of Dulles Global Gateway, a capital program of more than $20 billion that the Airports Authority, United and the U.S. Department of Transportation plan to deliver over the next decade. The program covers new and modernized concourses, additional gates, an enhanced Main Terminal, expanded AeroTrain service and a new U.S. Customs facility.
Concourse E gates add nearly 30% more peak-time connectivity
United expects the 14 gates to expand its connectivity to other markets by nearly 30% during peak travel periods. Each gate can handle either one widebody aircraft or two narrowbody aircraft, and can serve domestic or international flights. The concourse has direct AeroTrain access.
Construction has so far supported 2,700 jobs and generated $1.3 billion in local economic activity, according to Deputy Secretary of Transportation Steven Bradbury. Sen. Tim Kaine said the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law helped fund the build.
Three further construction phases could add up to 36 gates
The opening is the first of four planned Concourse E phases. Later phases are expected to add up to 36 more United gates and a new international customs processing area for connecting travelers. Plans also include one of the largest United Polaris lounges in the world.
New United Club lifts Dulles lounge space by about 70%
The nearly 40,000-square-foot United Club seats more than 600 customers. It is the airline's second-largest club and raises United's club and lounge space at Dulles by approximately 70%. Amenities include a bar, two buffet stations and eight private phone rooms.
The concourse also houses a food court and retail outlets. Tenants include Aventino, Bonchon, Dos Toros Taqueria, Honor Brewing, Rusty Taco and Starbucks, plus the Gameway gaming lounge.
United's Dulles departures are up 30% since 2022
United, the largest airline in the Washington region, has operated a Dulles hub for 40 years and employs nearly 8,000 people across the region. It currently offers more than 250 daily flights to 135 destinations. More than 20 of those destinations were added since 2022, and more than 30 are not served nonstop from the D.C. region by any other airline.
CEO Scott Kirby said Concourse E is "only the beginning" of United's work with MWAA and the Department of Transportation to transform the airport.
A321XLR launches transatlantic service from Dulles in December
Dulles is United's first hub for international flying on the Airbus A321XLR. The airline plans to start service to Amsterdam and Dublin in December. It began flying the aircraft on select U.S. domestic routes from Dulles in September.
United has added six international destinations from Dulles this year. It has announced two more long-haul routes for next year: Toulouse, France, and Milan, Italy.