A construction project to streamline and improve the total experience for inbound international passengers at Washington Dulles International Airport is now complete, in time for the peak International travel season. The International Arrivals Building (IAB) is a world-class gateway for passengers arriving at Dulles on International flights. Components of this project included:

• Doubling the total floor space to nearly 400,000 square feet through additions and renovations.
• Increasing the number of Customs inspection positions to 50 (completed in 2009)
• Installing six new baggage carousels to accommodate the largest commercial aircraft (completed in 2011)
• Streamlining passenger flow from the IAB arrivals hall all the way through to the passenger greeting area
• Incorporating public art to enhance the travel experience

This spacious, new facility is designed to serve up to 2,400 passengers per hour and their luggage. That’s well above the IAB’s original 1991 design capacity of 1,400 passengers per hour.

The expansion was built to accommodate growing international passenger traffic at Dulles, which has significantly exceeded the U.S. growth average year after year.

Growth of International Traffic, Washington compared to U.S.
Source: U.S. DOT International O&D Survey, 1997-2010; International T100, 1997-2010
Indexed to a starting point of 1997=1.0

Statistics recently released for 2011 show Dulles served a record 6.5 million International passengers, which represents over one quarter of the airport’s total annual passenger traffic and an increase of 1.6% over 2010. International traffic at Dulles has risen every year since 2003.

Dulles New International Air Service Highlights (Click here for PDF map):

• Etihad (new airline) to Abu Dhabi – new daily service begins March 31, 2013
• Emirates (new airline) to Dubai – new daily service begins September 12
• United Airlines to Dublin, Ireland – new daily service begins June 7
• Aeromexico (new airline) to Mexico City – new daily service begins May 21
• United Airlines to Manchester, UK – new daily service begins May 1
• United Airlines to Doha, Qatar – new daily service begins May 1
• Porter Airlines (new airline) to Toronto – new 3x daily service begins April 16, increases to 4x daily in May
• AirFrance to Paris – increased passenger load in June 2011 using the double decker Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft
• Icelandair (new airline) to Reykjavik – seasonal service began May 2011

The expanded International Arrivals Building includes these works of public art designed to enhance the beauty of the space:

• The Game of Flyers, Part Two, 2012 – A large, suspended sculpture in the primary inspection hall by artist Alice Aycock
• North/East/South/West – Four suspended lens sculptures beneath skylights in the bag claim area by artist Ray King. They project splashes of color on the floor from the incoming sunlight.
• The Pendulum Project – A dynamic, visual wall sculpture near the IAB exit by Mikyoung Kim.

Washington Dulles International Airport was dedicated by President    John F.  Kennedy on November 17, 1962. The Airport is celebrating    its 50th year of service to the National Capital Region.

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