The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority will close the West Security Screening Checkpoint at Washington Dulles International Airport on June 9 in order to move ahead with construction of the Main Terminal Station as part of the future automated Airport Train System.

New Security Screening lanes will open in the center of the Terminal to take the place of those closed on the West end. Dulles Airport will retain 22 security screening lanes.

Once in service, the automated Airport Train System will replace most of the current Mobile Lounges that transport passengers between the Terminal and Concourses. The train will operate on an underground dual track system. This first phase of the project will connect the Terminal to Concourses B and C. The stations will be located at convenient points along the concourses to minimize walking distances to the airline gates. The Main Terminal Station will be reached through two new spacious subsurface security screening areas. Once beyond security, passengers will be able to choose between a new passenger walkway to Concourses A or B (scheduled to open this November), or board the train system.

The project has been planned, in conjunction with the Transportation Security Administration, the agency responsible for staffing and operating security screening, to minimize the impact on passengers.

As part of this construction, passengers on arriving flights at Dulles will be directed to proceed directly to the Bag Claim Level once arriving at the Main Terminal via mobile lounges or through the Terminals' T-Gates. Those meeting incoming passengers at Dulles should wait on the lower level (Bag Claim) of the Airport near Bag Claim #7.

For the busy summer travel season, the Airports Authority plans to employ a number of customer service initiatives to help security screening procedures run more efficiently. At Dulles and Reagan National, there will be a number of Student Ambassadors who will inform passengers of the typical wait times at security, answer questions regarding security procedures and generally assist passengers with the screening process.