Steve Burns
WMAL.com
STERLING, Va. – (WMAL) Virginia officials, including Governor Terry McAuliffe, are set to present $50 million to Dulles Airport (IAD) to “improve competitiveness,” as the airport continues seeing riders get siphoned off to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Reagan National Airport (DCA). The latest monthly numbers indicate BWI is seeing the most passengers, followed by DCA and IAD in third.
“Right now, BWI is up, National is up, Dulles is down,” explained Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Transportation Planner Rich Roisman. “But that doesn’t mean we should stop investing in Dulles. Dulles is the National Capital Region’s international gateway.”
Reagan National is benefiting from its Metro-accessible location just minutes from Downtown D.C., but Roisman said its growth is not sustainable.
“It is physically hemmed in on three sides by the Potomac River. There is physically no more space to put aircraft on the airfield,” he said.
MWCOG’s position, Roisman said, is the region needs and benefits from the three airports. Dulles still sees more international traffic than BWI or Reagan. Reagan also has restrictions on flight length in an effort to divert more long-haul traffic to Dulles. Once Reagan is maxed out, he said Dulles will start seeing a much faster rate of growth along with BWI. The Silver Line’s extension to Dulles should also help its growth and accessibility.
“Any investment in the airports whatsoever,” Roisman said, “we see as a net positive.”
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