President Donald Trump has unveiled a significant proposal to completely reconstruct Dulles International Airport, labelling the major Washington-area transport hub a "terrible airport." The announcement came during a White House Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 2nd December 2025.
A Surprise Assessment and a Scathing Review
Trump, a former property developer, stated his administration intends to undertake a full rebuild of the northern Virginia airport. "We're also going to rebuild Dulles airport because it's not a good airport," he declared. "It should be a great airport, and it's not a good airport at all. It's a terrible airport."
This criticism follows an unannounced visit by the President's motorcade through the terminal in early November. The White House said at the time that Trump took the detour to assess potential future projects, a reconnaissance mission that has now culminated in this major announcement.
Praise for Architect, But Not the Design
Interestingly, Trump offered qualified praise for the airport's original architect, the renowned Finnish-American Eero Saarinen, who conceived the main terminal's distinctive modern design. However, the President contended that the building was "incorrectly designed" despite acknowledging it was structurally sound.
He promised a dramatic transformation, stating, "We're going to turn that around and we're going to make Dulles airport -- serving Washington and Virginia, Maryland, etc. -- we're gonna make that into something really spectacular. We have an amazing plan for it."
Immediate Repairs to 'People Movers' Announced
Alongside the long-term rebuild proposal, more immediate repair works were confirmed. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the administration is pushing forward with efforts to fix the airport's problematic "people movers" or "mobile lounges" that ferry passengers between concourses.
This follows a crash involving one of the vehicles in November. Duffy confirmed his agency would request bids for the repair work later on Tuesday, signalling urgent action to address current operational failures.
Dulles, one of three primary airports serving the US capital region, has long been a topic of debate among local residents regarding its convenience and overall quality. President Trump's sweeping proposal now sets the stage for a potential multi-billion dollar overhaul of this critical piece of national infrastructure.
