Jack comes to Simple Flying with a lifelong interest in all things aviation. He holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech, and is a certified private and remote pilot. Beyond these experiences, Jack previously worked for a corporate flight department where he gained first-hand experience in the world of business aviation. Currently, Jack works in the professional services industry and continues to build his flight hours outside of work.
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) will add a roughly 37,000-square-foot (3,437 square meters) VIP terminal for paying commercial passengers, airport officials announced this week. The facility will stand apart from the main terminal, near the airport’s cargo buildings. The $125 million figure reflects the value of the operating contract over its 20-year term, not the cost of construction.
Irish airport operator daa International will develop and run the facility, with a 30-month development phase followed by a 20-year operating term. It is not meant for private jet passengers, and passenger pricing has not been released.
Private Screening And Transfers To The Aircraft
Travelers will arrive through a dedicated VIP entrance and parking area, according to The Burn. Inside, they will pass private security screening and wait in suites, lounges, and shops separate from the main concourses. Baggage handling will be personalized, and a separate vehicle will carry passengers directly to the gate and aircraft. The Irish Times reported that bars and personalized check-in areas also planned.
Details of the announcement spell out the operator’s duties: the contractor must screen passengers, transport them and their luggage to gated aircraft, and provide food, Wi-Fi, and restrooms. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) officials expect it to charge a daily or membership fee. Eligibility turns on price, not status. MWAA spokesperson Crystal Nosal told the Washington Business Journal last year that “if you can pay for it, you’re VIP.” Early descriptions of the concept also envisioned a separate TSA checkpoint and luggage check-in, with the option of a chauffeured ride to the plane, according to Fox 5 DC.
The terminal will occupy a 51,000-square-foot (4,738 square meters) parcel near the airport’s Cargo 6 building. Chryssa Westerlund, MWAA’s executive vice president and chief revenue officer, said the project responds to traveler demand and puts Dulles alongside other leading international airports offering elevated services.
Irish Operator Wins 20-Year Deal
MWAA’s board approved the contract on July 15. Three contractors bid, and one board member voted against the award. Under the terms, the operator will pay the authority annual rent plus a percentage of total revenue, tying MWAA’s income to how the terminal performs.
daa International is part of the group that runs Cork and Dublin airports and has operations across North America, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Corgan will design the building. The company said the terminal will be the first of its kind to serve the US capital. daa will manage the terminal after opening.
Nick Cole, daa’s deputy chief executive and the chief executive of its international arm, said Dulles plays a vital role in connecting the United States with the wider world, and called the award proof of airport authorities’ confidence in the firm. Deputy chief executive Clive Power said the project shows Irish aviation expertise can compete internationally. Ireland’s transport minister, Darragh O’Brien, described it as a chance to expand the group’s US presence. The deal follows another daa subsidiary’s recent contract to run duty-free retail at Terminal 4 at 
New York JFK Airport.
Bid Dispute And Lawsuit Preceded The Award
Getting to a signed contract took years. MWAA first sought bids for a VIP area in 2023 but canceled the solicitation in May 2025. It then opened a 20-year solicitation that September with an estimated value of $62.6 million. The final contract is worth roughly twice that figure.
A rival bidder also went to court. Private Suite IAD LLC sued in February, months before the award, arguing that MWAA wrongly used a highest-price technically-acceptable method to evaluate bids instead of weighing best value. On Aug. 11, Judge Beryl A. Howell ruled that MWAA had followed its contracting manual, which calls that method appropriate for concessions contracts because it maximizes revenue. The court also found no basis for claims that ethical lapses tainted the process. With the court challenge resolved and an operator under contract, the next milestones to watch are the start of construction and the announcement of access fees.