Misplaced Pages

#731268

124-431: UAL Corp. passed to its successor its major operations at Chicago-O'Hare , Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington-Dulles . UAL's United Airlines, Inc. held several key air rights, including one of the two American carriers authorized to serve Asia from Tokyo-Narita . UAL's United was the largest U.S. carrier to China and maintained operations throughout Asia. UAL, Inc. , was incorporated December 30, 1968 as

248-517: A Delaware corporation as part of a reorganization of United Airlines , its largest subsidiary, having a storied history. UAL, Inc. was the creation of then United Airlines president George Keck, who formed the holding company to allow United to diversify. Between 1970 and 1988 UAL, Inc. acquired the Westin and Hilton hotel chains and the Hertz car rental company, as well as a regional airline ,

372-553: A 300-seat three-class configuration. The A350 was designed to be a direct competitor to the Boeing 787-9 and 777-200ER . The original A350 design was publicly criticised by two of Airbus's largest customers, International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). On 28 March 2006, ILFC President Steven F. Udvar-Házy urged Airbus to pursue a clean-sheet design or risk losing market share to Boeing and branded Airbus's strategy as "a Band-aid reaction to

496-737: A Common Type Rating for pilot training between the A350 XWB and A330. On 12 November 2014, the A350 received certification from the FAA. On 1 August 2017, the EASA issued an airworthiness directive mandating operators to power cycle (reset) early A350-900s before 149 hours of continuous power-on time, reissued in July 2019. In June 2011, the A350-900 was scheduled to enter service in the first half of 2014, with

620-608: A choice of powerplant. It had a common fuselage cross-section with the A330 and also a new horizontal stabiliser . On 13 June 2005 at the Paris Air Show , Middle Eastern carrier Qatar Airways announced that they had placed an order for 60 A350s. In September 2006 the airline signed a memorandum of understanding with General Electric (GE) to launch the GEnx-1A-72 engine for the new airliner model. Emirates sought

744-469: A facelift in 2006 that included light-fixture upgrades, new paint finishes, new ceiling grids and tiles, heating and air conditioning replacement, and complete restroom renovations. While all gates in Concourses C/D can be utilized for both domestic and international departures, all United international arrivals are conducted at gates C1-C14. These gates contain two exit configurations depending on

868-442: A few that use Concourse A). These concourses were constructed in 1983 as temporary facilities and designed by Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum . The two concourses have 22 gates each, numbered C1–C28 and D1–D32, with odd-numbered gates on the north side of the building and even numbered gates on the south side. Concourse C composes the eastern half of the terminal and Concourse D composes the western half. The C/D concourses were given

992-412: A maximum seating capacity of 440–475 depending on variant. The A330 and previous iterations of the A350 would only be able to accommodate a maximum of eight seats per row. The 787 is typically configured for nine seats per row. The 777 accommodates nine or ten seats per row, with more than half of recent 777s being configured in a ten-abreast layout that will come standard on the 777X . The A350 cabin

1116-458: A more efficient version for the airliner. Since then, the largest GE engines operators, which include Emirates, US Airways , Hawaiian Airlines and ILFC have selected the Trent XWB for their A350 orders. In May 2009, GE said that if it were to reach a deal with Airbus to offer the current 787-optimised GEnx for the A350, it would only power the -800 and -900 variants. GE believed it could offer

1240-431: A more improved design and decided against ordering the initial version of the A350. On 6 October 2005, the programme's industrial launch was announced with an estimated development cost of around €3.5 billion. The A350 was initially planned to be a 250 to 300-seat twin-engine wide-body aircraft derived from the existing A330's design. Under this plan, the A350 would have modified wings and new engines while sharing

1364-471: A new three-story 550,000 square foot (51,000 m ) south concourse building above the AeroTrain station for Concourse C, to replace Concourse A regional gates built in 1999. Decades-old rules set by Congress that limit the number of takeoffs and landings, as well as distance of routes, at Reagan Airport were intended in part to keep more flights at Dulles. Those rules have been weakened by Congress over

SECTION 10

#1732766130732

1488-567: A new variant of the Trent turbofan engine for the A350 XWB, named Trent XWB . In 2010, after low-speed wind tunnel tests, Airbus finalised the static thrust at sea level for all three proposed variants to the 74,000–94,000 lbf (330–420 kN) range. GE stated it would not offer the GP7000 engine on the aircraft, and that previous contracts for the GEnx on the original A350 did not apply to

1612-620: A parallel set of toll lanes were added on the same right-of-way to accommodate non-airport traffic (Dulles Toll Road). The airport-only lanes are both less congested and toll-free. As of November 1, 2008, MWAA assumed responsibility from the Virginia Department of Transportation both for operating the Dulles Toll Road and for the construction of the Silver Line down its median. Route 28, which runs north–south along

1736-439: A product that outperforms the Trent 1000 and Trent XWB, but was reluctant to support an aircraft competing directly with its GE90-115B-powered 777 variants. In January 2008, French-based Thales Group won a US$ 2.9 billion (€2 billion) 20-year contract to supply avionics and navigation equipment for the A350 XWB, beating Honeywell and Rockwell Collins . US-based Rockwell Collins and Moog Inc. were chosen to supply

1860-545: A profit in 2007, but the fuel crisis in the summer 2008, when crude oil briefly reached $ 147 a barrel, pushed the company into losses. After decades of boom and bust cycles, CEO Tilton pushed for a merger with another major US carrier. Tilton stated that a larger market-share and a more diverse route network was the way for UAL to reach sustained profitability, though many, including UAL's unions groups, strongly disagreed. In early 2008 UAL Corporation held merger talks with American airline operator Continental Airlines, Inc. The deal

1984-432: A project name, and did not state whether it would be an entirely new design or a modification of an existing product. Airline dissatisfaction with this proposal motivated Airbus to commit €4 billion to a new airliner design. On 10 December 2004, Airbus' shareholders, EADS and BAE Systems , approved the "authorisation to offer" for the A350, expecting a 2010 service entry. Airbus then expected to win more than half of

2108-405: A rate of 10 per month, and were going to keep the rate around nine to 10 per month, to reflect softer demand for widebodies, as the backlog reached 579 − or 5.2 years of production at a constant rate. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the decrease of A350 production from 9.5 per month to six per month, since April 2020. After the pandemic a ramp-up is planned, aiming to reach a rate of 9 per month by

2232-509: A renovation program for the airport including a new security mezzanine with more room for lines. A new train system, dubbed AeroTrain and developed by Mitsubishi , began in 2010 to transport passengers between the concourses and the main terminal. The system, which uses rubber tires and travels along a fixed underground guideway, is similar to the people mover systems at Singapore Changi Airport , Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , and Denver International Airport . The train

2356-425: A reservations network, and several leasing and insurance companies. On April 30, 1987, UAL, Inc. changed its name to Allegis Corporation . Wall Street analysts believed that Allegis' subsidiaries were worth more individually than valued by the parent company's stock price. Reacting to this opinion just weeks after the company changed its name, a group led by United Airlines employees moved to acquire ownership. However,

2480-546: A row of office buildings along the north side of the main parking lot. The design also included a two-level road in front of the terminal to separate arrival and departure traffic and a federally owned limited access highway connecting the terminal to the Capital Beltway ( I-495 ) about 17 miles (27 km) to the east. (Eventually, the highway system grew to include a parallel toll road to handle commuter traffic and an extension to connect to I-66 ). The access road had

2604-668: A short distance southeast. After the war, in 1948, the Civil Aeronautics Administration began to consider sites for a second major airport to serve the nation's capital. Congress passed the Washington Airport Act in 1950 to provide funding for a new airport in the region. The initial CAA proposal in 1951 called for the airport to be built in Fairfax County near what is now Burke Lake Park , but protests from residents, as well as

SECTION 20

#1732766130732

2728-431: A six-panel flightdeck windscreen. This differs substantially from the four-window arrangement in the original A350 XWB design. The new nose, made of aluminium, improves aerodynamics and enables overhead crew rest areas to be installed further forward and eliminate any encroachment in the passenger cabin. The new windscreen has been revised to improve vision by reducing the width of the centre post. The upper shell radius of

2852-427: A train does not exceed four minutes, compared to the average 15-minute wait and travel time for mobile lounges. Under the development plan, future phases would see the addition of several new midfield concourses and a new south terminal. A fourth runway (parallel to the existing runways 1 and 19 L&R) opened in 2008, and development plans include a fifth runway to parallel the existing runway 12–30. If this runway

2976-487: A wide median strip to allow the construction of a passenger rail line, which opened as an extension of the Washington Metro's Silver Line on November 15, 2022. By 1985 the original design, featuring mobile lounges to meet each plane, was no longer well-suited to Dulles's role as a hub airport. Instead, midfield concourses were constructed to allow passengers to walk between connecting flights without visiting

3100-469: Is 10 frames shorter (six forward and four aft of wing) than the −900 aircraft. It was designed to supplement the Airbus A330-200 long-range twin. Airbus planned to decrease structural weight in the -800 as development continued, which should have been around airframe 20. While its backlog reached 182 in mid-2008, it diminished since 2010 as customers switched to the larger -900. After launching

3224-520: Is 12.7 cm (5.0 in) wider at the eye level of a seated passenger than the 787's cabin, and 28 cm (11 in) narrower than the Boeing 777's cabin (see the Wide-body aircraft comparison of cabin widths and seating). All A350 passenger models have a range of at least 8,000 nmi (14,816 km; 9,206 mi). The redesigned composite fuselage allows for higher cabin pressure and humidity, and lower maintenance costs. On 1 December 2006,

3348-477: Is 6.8 t (15,000 lb) per hour within a 5,400 nautical miles (10,000 km; 6,200 mi), 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours early long test flight. Flight tests allowed raising the MTOW from 308 to 316 t (679,000 to 697,000 lb), the 8 t (18,000 lb) increase giving 450 nmi (830 km; 520 mi) more range. Airbus then completed functional and reliability testing. Type Certification

3472-467: Is a hub for United Airlines and is frequently used by airlines that United has codeshare agreements with, mostly composed of Star Alliance members like Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa . Before World War II , Hoover Field was the main commercial airport serving Washington, on the site now occupied by the Pentagon and its parking lots. It was replaced by Washington National Airport in 1941,

3596-451: Is a monthly rate of 20 A350neos, up from 10. In November 2019, General Electric was offering an advanced GEnx -1 variant with a bleed air system and improvements from the GE9X , developed for the delayed Boeing 777X, to power a proposed A350neo from the mid-2020s. In 2021, Rolls Royce signed an exclusive deal to supply A350-900 engines until 2030, following previous similar commitments for

3720-506: Is being changed for the wider, optimised spanload pressure distribution , and will be used for the Singapore Airlines A350-900ULR in 2018 before spreading to other variants. On 26 June 2018, Iberia was the first to receive the upgraded -900, with a 280 t (620,000 lb) MTOW version for an 8,200 nmi (15,200 km; 9,400 mi) range with 325 passengers in three classes. By April 2019, Airbus

3844-402: Is built, the current runway will be re-designated as 12L-30R while the new runway will be designated 12R-30L. An expansion of the B concourse, used by many low-cost airlines as well as international arrivals, has been completed, and the building housing Concourses C and D will eventually be knocked down to make room for a more ergonomic building. Because Concourses C and D are temporary concourses,

UAL Corporation - Misplaced Pages Continue

3968-427: Is intended to replace the mobile lounges, which many passengers found crowded and inconvenient. The initial phase includes the main terminal station, a permanent Concourse A station, a permanent Concourse B station, a permanent midfield concourse station (with access to the current temporary C concourse via a tunnel with moving walkways), and a maintenance facility. Mobile lounges continue to service Concourse D from both

4092-780: Is named after John Foster Dulles , an influential United States Secretary of State during the Cold War who briefly represented New York in the United States Senate . The airport's main terminal is a well-known landmark designed by Eero Saarinen , who also designed the TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport . Operated by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority , Dulles occupies 13,000 acres (20.3 sq mi; 52.6 km ), straddling

4216-725: Is one of three major airports serving the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area . As of 2021, it is the second-busiest airport in the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area behind Reagan National Airport and the 28th-busiest airport in the United States. Dulles has the most international passenger traffic of any airport in the Mid-Atlantic outside the New York metropolitan area , including approximately 90% of

4340-455: Is primarily used for international flights. Air France and KLM have a lounge opposite gate A19, Etihad Airways operates a First and Business Class lounge across from gate A15, and Virgin Atlantic has a Clubhouse lounge adjacent to gate A31. Concourse A's AeroTrain station is located between gates A6 and A14. Concourse B has 28 gates, located in the western half of the terminal. It is

4464-586: The A340 and competes against Boeing's large long-haul twinjets , the Boeing 777 , its future successor, the 777X , and the 787 . Airbus initially rejected Boeing's claim that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner would be a serious threat to the Airbus A330 , stating that the 787 was just a reaction to the A330 and that no response was needed. When airlines urged Airbus to provide a competitor, Airbus initially proposed

4588-601: The Airbus A330neo at the 2014 Farnborough Airshow, Airbus dropped the A350-800, with its CEO Fabrice Brégier saying "I believe all of our customers will either convert to the A350-900 or the A330neo". He later confirmed at a September 2014 press conference that development of the A350-800 had been "cancelled". There were 16 orders left for the -800 since Yemenia switched to the -900 and Hawaiian Airlines moved to

4712-516: The Boeing 787 Dreamliner , would have been a development of the Airbus A330 with composite wings and new engines. Due to inadequate market support, Airbus switched in 2006 to a clean-sheet "XWB" (eXtra Wide Body) design, powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB high bypass turbofan engines. The prototype first flew on 14 June 2013 from Toulouse , France. Type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)

4836-410: The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on 30 September 2014. On 15 October 2014, EASA approved the A350-900 for ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards) 370, allowing it to fly more than six hours on one engine and making it the first airliner to be approved for "ETOPS Beyond 180 minutes" before entry into service. Later that month Airbus received regulatory approval for

4960-685: The landing gear and starting a 2,500 h flight test campaign. Costs for developing the aircraft were estimated at €11 billion (US$ 15 billion or £ 9.5 billion) in June 2013. A350 XWB msn. 2 underwent two and a half weeks of climatic tests in the unique McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base , Florida, in May 2014, and was subjected to multiple climatic and humidity settings from 45 °C (113 °F) to −40 °C (−40 °F). The A350 received type certification from

5084-424: The "A330-200Lite", a derivative of the A330 featuring improved aerodynamics and engines similar to those on the 787. The company planned to announce this version at the 2004 Farnborough Airshow , but did not proceed. On 16 September 2004, Airbus president and chief executive officer Noël Forgeard confirmed the consideration of a new project during a private meeting with prospective customers. Forgeard did not give

UAL Corporation - Misplaced Pages Continue

5208-463: The -800 as a shrink of the baseline -900 to simplify development and increase its payload by 3 t (6,600 lb) or its range by 250 nmi (460 km; 290 mi), but this led to a fuel burn penalty of "a couple of percent", according to John Leahy. The previously planned optimisation to the structure and landing gear was not beneficial enough against better commonality and maximum takeoff weight increase by 11t from 248t. The −800's fuselage

5332-432: The -800 to enter service in mid-2016, and the -1000 in 2017. In July 2012, Airbus delayed the -900's introduction by three months to the second half of 2014. The delivery to launch customer Qatar Airways took place on 22 December 2014. The first commercial flight was made on 15 January 2015 between Doha and Frankfurt . The first A350-1000 was assembled in 2016 and had its first flight on 24 November 2016. The aircraft

5456-436: The 250-300-seat aircraft market, estimated at 3,100 aircraft overall over 20 years. Based on the A330, the 245-seat A350-800 was to fly over a 8,600 nmi (15,900 km; 9,900 mi) range and the 285-seat A350-900 over a 13,900 km (7,500 nmi; 8,600 mi) range. Fuel efficiency would improve by over 10% with a mostly carbon fibre reinforced polymer wing and initial General Electric GEnx -72A1 engines, before offering

5580-566: The 787", a sentiment echoed by GECAS president Henry Hubschman. In April 2006, while reviewing bids for the Boeing 787 and A350, the CEO of Singapore Airlines (SIA) Chew Choon Seng , commented that "having gone through the trouble of designing a new wing, tail, and cockpit, [Airbus] should have gone the whole hog and designed a new fuselage." Airbus responded that they were considering A350 improvements to satisfy customer demands. Airbus's then-CEO Gustav Humbert stated, "Our strategy isn't driven by

5704-465: The A330's fuselage cross-section. For this design, the fuselage was to consist primarily of aluminium-lithium rather than the carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) fuselage on the Boeing 787. The A350 would see entry in two versions: the A350-800 with a 8,800 nmi (16,300 km; 10,100 mi) range with a typical passenger capacity of 253 in a three-class configuration, and the A350-900 with 7,500 nmi (13,900 km; 8,600 mi) range and

5828-456: The A330/A340. The cabin's internal width is 5.61 m (18.4 ft) at armrest level compared to 5.49 m (18.0 ft) in the Boeing 787 and 5.87 m (19.3 ft) in the Boeing 777. It allows for an eight-abreast 2–4–2 arrangement in a premium economy layout, with the seats being 49.5 cm (19.5 in) wide between 5 cm (2.0 in) wide arm rests. Airbus states that

5952-493: The A330neo in December 2014: eight for Aeroflot and eight for Asiana Airlines , both also having orders for the -900. In January 2017, Aeroflot and Airbus announced the cancellation of its -800 order, leaving Asiana Airlines as the only customer for the variant. After the negotiation between Airbus and Asiana Airlines, Asiana converted orders of eight A350-800s and one A350-1000 to nine A350-900s. In 2011, Airbus redesigned

6076-479: The A350 in a nine-abreast configuration. The 10-abreast seating on the A350 is similar to a 9-abreast configuration on the A330, with a seat width of 41.65 cm (16.4 in). Overall, the A350 gives passengers more headroom, larger overhead storage space, and wider panoramic windows than current Airbus models. The A350 nose section has a configuration derived from the A380 with a forward-mounted nosegear bay and

6200-453: The A350 programme had broken even that year. Airbus suggested Boeing's use of composite materials for the 787 fuselage was premature, and that the new A350 XWB was to feature carbon fibre panels only for the main fuselage skin. However, after facing criticism for maintenance costs, Airbus confirmed in early September 2007 that it would also use carbon fibre for fuselage frames. The composite frames would feature aluminium strips to ensure

6324-482: The A350 was changed, as a longer than anticipated development forced Airbus to delay the final assembly and first flight of the aircraft to the third quarter of 2012 and second quarter of 2013 respectively. As a result, the flight test schedule was compressed from the original 15 months to 12 months. A350 programme chief Didier Evrard stressed that delays only affected the A350-900 while the -800 and -1000 schedules remained unchanged. Airbus' 2019 earnings report indicated

SECTION 50

#1732766130732

6448-646: The A350-1000 on 24 February 2018 with the same launch operator. As of September 2024 , Singapore Airlines is the largest operator with 64 aircraft in its fleet, while Turkish Airlines is the largest customer with 110 aircraft on order. A total of 1,340 A350 family aircraft have been ordered and 623 delivered, of which 622 aircraft are in service with 40 operators. The global A350 fleet has completed more than 1.58 million flights on more than 1,240 routes, transporting more than 400 million passengers with one hull loss being an airport-safety–related accident. It succeeds

6572-454: The A350-1000 with higher weights and a more powerful engine variant to provide more range for trans-Pacific operations. This boosted its appeal to Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, who were committed to purchase 20 Boeing 777-9s, and to United Airlines , which was considering Boeing 777-300ERs to replace its 747-400s . Emirates was disappointed with the changes and cancelled its order for 50 A350-900s and 20 A350-1000s, instead of changing

6696-655: The A350-1000. Airbus expected 10% lower airframe maintenance compared with the original A350 design and 14% lower empty seat weight than the Boeing 777. Design freeze for the A350-900 was achieved in December 2008. The airframe is made out of 53% composites: CFRP for the empennage (vertical and horizontal tailplanes), the wing (centre and outer box; including covers, stringers, and spars), and fuselage (keel beam, rear fuselage, skin, and frame); 19% aluminium and aluminium–lithium alloy for ribs, floor beams, and gear bays; 14% titanium for landing gears, pylons, and attachments; 6% steel; and 8% miscellaneous. The A350's competitor,

6820-453: The A350-900 typically carries 300 to 350 passengers over a 15,000 kilometre (8,100 nmi; 9,300 mi) range, and has a 283 tonne (617,300 lb) maximum takeoff weight (MTOW); the longer A350-1000 accommodates 350 to 410 passengers and has a maximum range of 16,500 km (8,900 nmi; 10,300 mi) and a 322 tonne (710,000 lb) MTOW. On 15 January 2015, the first A350-900 entered service with Qatar Airways , followed by

6944-430: The A350-900 was scheduled for mid-2013, with the -800 and -1000 following on 12 and 24 months later, respectively. New technical details of the A350 XWB were revealed at a press conference in December 2006. Chief operating officer, John Leahy indicated existing A350 contracts were being re-negotiated due to price increases compared to the original A350s contracted. On 4 January 2007, Pegasus Aviation Finance Company placed

7068-415: The AeroTrain, which links the main terminal with the A and B concourse and links to a tunnel connecting to the C concourse. All airlines aside from certain express flights operate out of two linear satellite terminals . Each terminal is divided into two concourses, with the north terminal containing Concourses A and B, and the south terminal containing Concourses C and D. Concourses A and B are located in

7192-578: The Airbus A350 XWB. In 2008, Airbus planned to start cabin furnishing early in parallel with final assembly to cut production time in half. The A350 XWB production programme sees extensive international collaboration and investments in new facilities: Airbus constructed 10 new factories in Western Europe and the US, with extensions carried out on three further sites. Among the new buildings

7316-551: The Airbus board of directors approved the industrial launch of the A350-800, -900, and -1000 variants. The delayed launch decision was a result of delays to the Airbus A380 and discussions on how to fund development. EADS CEO Thomas Enders stated that the A350 programme was not a certainty, citing EADS/Airbus's stretched resources. However, it was decided programme costs are to be borne mainly from cash-flow. First delivery for

7440-401: The Boeing 787, is 50% composites, 20% aluminium, 15% titanium, 10% steel, and 5% other. The A350 features a new composite fuselage with a constant width from door 1 to door 4, unlike previous Airbus aircraft, to provide maximum usable volume. The double-lobe ( ovoid ) fuselage cross-section has a maximum outer diameter of 5.97 m (19.6 ft), compared to 5.64 m (18.5 ft) for

7564-495: The D2 Dulles Development Project. The new building is to include a three-level structure with 44 airline gates and similar amenities to Concourse B. The concourse plan includes a dedicated mezzanine corridor with moving sidewalks to serve international passengers. The design and construction of the new C/D concourse has not been scheduled. When built, it is planned that both terminals will be connected to

SECTION 60

#1732766130732

7688-535: The Farnborough International Airshow, the redesigned aircraft was designated "A350 XWB" (Xtra-Wide-Body). Within four days, Singapore Airlines agreed to order 20 A350 XWBs with options for another 20 A350 XWBs. The proposed A350 was a new design, including a wider fuselage cross-section, allowing seating arrangements ranging from an eight-abreast low-density premium economy layout to a ten-abreast high-density seating configuration for

7812-885: The Herndon–Monroe park & ride lot in Herndon, the Reston Town Center transit in Reston, the Wiehle–Reston East Metro station, and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Air and Space Museum. Formerly, the Metrobus 5A route served at the airport. Megabus provides service from Dulles to Charlottesville and Blacksburg . Washington Flyer has a monopoly to operate cabs from Washington Dulles Airport. Uber and Lyft are popular modes of transport to and from

7936-538: The International Arrivals Building, as well as to transport passengers to and from aircraft on the hard stands that are called H gates (i.e., those parked remotely on the apron without access to jet bridges). Dulles's main terminal houses ticketing on the upper level, baggage claim and U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the lower level, and annexes for the International Arrivals Building for international passenger processing, as well as

8060-475: The International Arrivals Building, while passengers making onward connections are directed to a separate customs facility located on the ground floor of Concourse C. After being screened by TSA at a dedicated security checkpoint within the facility, these passengers then take escalators that deposit them in Concourse C near gate C7. A new and permanent C/D concourse (also called "Tier 2") is planned as part of

8184-723: The Loudoun–Fairfax line. IAD ranks fifth in the US in terms of land area, after Denver International Airport , Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , Southwest Florida International Airport , and Orlando International Airport . Most of the airport is in the unincorporated community of Dulles in Loudoun County, with a small portion in the unincorporated community of Chantilly in Fairfax County. Along with Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), Dulles

8308-534: The Trent XWB engines were powered up on the A350 for the first time. Airbus confirmed that the flight test programme would last 12 months and use five test aircraft. The A350's maiden flight took place on 14 June 2013 from the Toulouse–Blagnac Airport . Airbus's chief test pilot said, "it just seemed really happy in the air...all the things we were testing had no major issues at all." It flew for four hours, reaching Mach 0.8 at 25,000 feet after retracting

8432-543: The U.S. The airport was Loudoun County's first official airport, consisting of two grass intersecting runways in the shape of an "X". The location of the former Blue Ridge Airport sits where the Dulles Air Freight complex and Washington Dulles Airport Marriott now sit today. The civil engineering firm Ammann and Whitney was named lead contractor. The airport was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy and Eisenhower on November 17, 1962. As originally opened,

8556-596: The XWB. Engine Alliance partner Pratt & Whitney seemed to be unaligned with GE on this, having publicly stated that it was looking at an advanced derivative of the GP7000. In April 2007, former Airbus CEO Louis Gallois held direct talks with GE management over developing a GEnx variant for the A350 XWB. In June 2007, John Leahy indicated that the A350 XWB would not feature the GEnx engine, saying that Airbus wanted GE to offer

8680-434: The airport had three long runways (current day runways 1C/19C, 1R/19L, and 12/30) and one shorter one (where current taxiway Q is located). Its original name, Dulles International Airport, was changed in 1984 to Washington Dulles International Airport. The main terminal was designed in 1958 by famed Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen , and it is highly regarded for its graceful beauty, suggestive of flight. The terminal

8804-482: The airport's plane mate vehicles. Conceived in early planning sessions in 1959, Dulles is one of a few remaining airports to utilize mobile lounges (also known as "plane mates" or "people movers"), now only used for transport to the International Arrivals Building as well as transport for Concourse D. They have all been given names based on the postal abbreviations of 50 states, e.g., VA, MD, AK. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has partially phased out

8928-451: The airport, and MWAA receives a $ 4 fee per trip, which is included in the quoted fare. Dulles has been a popular filming location, particularly in its early years when it had relatively low traffic levels in relation to its size and its elaborate design. Airbus A350 The Airbus A350 is a long-range , wide-body twin-engine airliner developed and produced by Airbus . The initial A350 design proposed in 2004, in response to

9052-572: The airport: Washington Dulles is accessible via the Dulles Access Road / Dulles Greenway ( State Route 267 ) and State Route 28 . The Access Road is a toll-free, limited access highway owned by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) to facilitate car access to Washington Dulles from the Capital Beltway and Interstate 66 . After it opened, non-airport traffic between Washington and Reston became so heavy that

9176-429: The arriving flight. Domestic passengers and international passengers from airports with U.S. customs pre-clearance exit directly into the concourse, while international arrivals from airports without border pre-clearance are redirected down a sterile corridor to U.S. Customs & Immigration. Passengers arriving from international destinations who are ending their journey at Dulles are then transported by mobile lounge to

9300-607: The bankruptcy court to impose those reductions in order to meet the strict covenants established by the DIP lenders. What followed was one of the largest, longest, and most complex bankruptcy cases in US history. UAL Corporation and its subsidiaries emerged from bankruptcy protection on February 1, 2006. On December 8, 2009, UAL Corporation announced an order for 25 Airbus A350 and 25 Boeing 787 aircraft, with purchase rights for 50 more of each. The years following emergence from bankruptcy garnered mixed results for UAL. The company turned

9424-818: The company through a bankruptcy. Tilton was appointed chairman, President, and CEO of UAL Corporation and United Airlines, Inc. in September 2002. Tilton sought wage cuts from employees and applied for a U.S. government loan guarantee to avoid filing for bankruptcy. By early December, the company had reached agreements with most of its unions for wage reductions, but its loan application was rejected Dec. 4. On Dec. 9, UAL and its subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 reorganization. UAL quickly received debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing to allow it to continue "business as usual" while it reorganized its debt, capital and cost structures. The year ended with UAL seeking immediate voluntary wage reductions from all employee groups or permission from

9548-469: The consumption of more than 37,000 Northern Virginia homes during peak production. In 2024, IAD was ranked as the 11th best airport in the world by AirHelp , a passenger rights tech company that assists passengers with flight disruptions. Data was compiled for 239 of the world's busiest airports in 69 countries. Data was compiled from May 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024. Criteria was based on on-time performance, customer opinion, and food and shops. Dulles ranking

9672-556: The eastern edge of the airport, has been upgraded to a limited access highway, with the interchanges financed through a property tax surcharge on nearby business properties. The Dulles Toll Road ( VA-267 ) is extended to the south of Leesburg as the Dulles Greenway. Washington Metro service is available to Dulles via a station on the Silver Line . Service began operation on November 15, 2022. Fairfax Connector bus routes 981 and 983 serve Washington Dulles, connecting to

9796-402: The electrical continuity of the fuselage, for dissipating lightning strikes . Airbus used a full mock up fuselage to develop the wiring, a different approach from the A380, on which the wiring was all done on computers. In 2006, Airbus confirmed development of a full bleed air system on the A350, as opposed to the 787's bleedless configuration. Rolls-Royce agreed with Airbus to supply

9920-402: The end of 2025. As the pre-pandemic rate of 10 monthly is aimed for by 2026, by April 2024 Airbus was planning a 12-monthly production rate by 2028 after securing 281 net orders in 2023. The first Trent engine test was made on 14 June 2010. The Trent XWB's flight test programme began use on the A380 development aircraft in early 2011, ahead of engine certification in late 2011. On 2 June 2013,

10044-434: The first aircraft, MSN59, for the flight envelope , systems and powerplant checks; 500 hours on MSN71 for cold and warm campaigns, landing gear checks and high-altitude tests; and 500 hours on MSN65 for route proving and ETOPS assessment, with an interior layout for cabin development and certification. In cruise at Mach 0.854 (911.9 km/h; 492.4 kn) and 35,000 ft, its fuel flow at 259 t (571,000 lb)

10168-400: The first firm order for the A350 XWB with an order for two aircraft. The design change imposed a two-year delay into the original timetable and increased development costs from US$ 5.5 billion (€5.3 billion) to approximately US$ 10 billion (€9.7 billion). Reuters estimated the A350's total development cost at US$ 15 billion (€12 billion or £10 billion). The original mid-2013 delivery date of

10292-620: The first fuselage barrel began in late 2010 at its production plant in Illescas , Spain. Construction of the first A350-900 centre wingbox was set to start in August 2010. The new composite rudder plant in China opened in early 2011. The forward fuselage of the first A350 was delivered to the final assembly plant in Toulouse on 29 December 2011. Final assembly of the first A350 static test model

10416-439: The first of the permanent elevated midfield concourses. Originally constructed in 1998 and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum , the B concourse contained 20 gates. In 2003, 4 additional gates were added to concourse B, followed by a 15-gate expansion in 2008. In addition to the AeroTrain station located between gates B51 and B62, Concourse B also has an underground walkway to connect it to

10540-501: The four Z gates (used by Air Canada and United Express), H gates, various information kiosks and other support facilities. The main terminal was recognized by the American Institute of Architects in 1966 for its design concept; its roof is a suspended catenary providing a wide enclosed area unimpeded by any columns. The main terminal was extended in 1996 to 1,240 feet (380 m)—Saarinen's original design length—which

10664-616: The group was unable to secure the necessary financing and Allegis' management subsequently divested (sold) its non-airline subsidiaries. On May 26, 1988, Allegis changed its name to UAL Corporation, with United Airlines, Inc. as its sole major subsidiary. United Airlines employees’ continued effort to buy the airline's parent company was realized in 1993. The Board of Directors of UAL in December 1993 agreed to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), with employees accepting salary and benefit reductions and work rule changes in exchange for stock. Employees gained an equity stake of 55%, thus making them

10788-471: The horizontal stabiliser actuator and primary flight control actuation, respectively. The flight management system incorporated several new safety features. Regarding cabin ergonomics and entertainment, in 2006 Airbus signed a firm contract with BMW for development of an interior concept for the original A350. On 4 February 2010, Airbus signed a contract with Panasonic Avionics Corporation to deliver in-flight entertainment and communication (IFEC) systems for

10912-415: The initial dispatch reliability was 98%. Airbus announced plans to increase its production rate from 10 monthly in 2018 to 13 monthly from 2019 and six A330 are produced monthly. Around 90 deliveries were expected for 2018, with 15% or ≈14 units being A350-1000 variants. That year, 93 aircraft were delivered, three more than expected. In 2019, Airbus delivered 112 A350s (87 A350-900s and 25 A350-1000s) at

11036-733: The international passenger traffic in the Baltimore–Washington region. It had more than 20 million passenger enplanements every year from 2004 to 2019, with 24 million enplanements in 2019. An average of 60,000 passengers pass through Dulles daily to and from more than 139 destinations around the world. Increased domestic travel from Reagan National Airport has eroded some of Dulles's domestic routes. Dulles overtook Reagan in total enplanements in 2019. In 2018, however, Dulles surpassed Reagan in yearly passenger boardings after having fewer passengers since 2015. Furthermore, it still ranks behind BWI in total annual passenger boardings. Dulles

11160-416: The main terminal and Concourse A. Even after AeroTrain is built out and the replacement Concourses C and D are built, the mobile lounges and plane mates will still continue to be used, to transport international arriving passengers to the International Arrivals Building, as well as transport passengers to aircraft parked on hardstands without direct access to jet bridges. Dulles has stated that the wait time for

11284-467: The main terminal and other concourses via the AeroTrain. To that extent, the AeroTrain station at Concourse C was built at the location where the future Concourse C/D structure is proposed to be built, and is connected to the existing Concourse C via an underground walkway. In April 2022, the Airport Authority published plans for a 14 gate Concourse E to be built atop the AeroTrain station with

11408-534: The main terminal. Concourse B is used by some international carriers, and is also utilized by almost all non-United domestic and Canada flights. The facility also includes a British Airways Galleries lounge adjacent to the AeroTrain station, a Lufthansa lounge between gates B49 and B51, and a Turkish Airlines lounge near gate B43. Concourses C and D are located in the south midfield terminal, and are used for United Airlines flights, including all mainline flights and most United Express regional flights (save for

11532-420: The main terminal. Mobile lounges were still used for international flights and to transport passengers between the midfield concourses and the main terminal; Concourse C/D was the first to be built, followed by Concourse A/B. A tunnel (consisting of a passenger walkway and moving sidewalks) that links the main terminal and Concourse B was opened in 2004. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) began

11656-420: The majority owners of UAL Corporation. UAL became the world's largest employee-owned company. During the mid-1990s the scheme worked well for UAL. The company was able to stabilize its finances, which had been weakened by the recession earlier in the decade and the divestiture of Allegis' profitable assets. In the late 1990s UAL's United Airlines subsidiary grew to be the world's largest airline, as well as one of

11780-568: The mid-2020s, after the A321XLR and a stretched A320neo "plus", potentially competing with the Boeing New Midsize Airplane . Service entry would be determined by ultra-high bypass ratio engine developments pursued by Pratt & Whitney, testing its Geared Turbofan upgrade ; Safran Aircraft Engines , ground testing a demonstrator from 2021; and Rolls-Royce, targeting a 2025 Ultrafan service entry. The production target

11904-406: The midfield terminal building closer to the main terminal. They are utilized by all non-United flights as well as a limited number of United Express flights. Concourse A has 47 gates, located in the eastern half of the north midfield terminal. It consists of a permanent ground-level set of gates designed for small planes and United Express flights, and several former Concourse B gates. The concourse

12028-603: The mobile lounge system for inter-terminal passenger movements with the AeroTrain , an underground people mover that currently operates to all of the concourses except concourse D, with a passenger tunnel remaining to concourses A and B. However, the Aerotrain to concourse C stops at a terminal north of the actual concourse, leaving a significant walk from the terminal to concourse after disembarking. Plane mates remain in use to disembark international passengers and carry them to

12152-473: The most profitable. Yet in 2000, UAL's fortunes began to dim. In April 2000, the ESOP investment period ended for most US employees, prompting United's unions to fight for higher wages. Labor issues, air traffic congestion and poor weather forced widespread flight cancellations during the summer of 2000, harming the airline's reputation. Then UAL Corporation announced its intent to merge with US Airways Group, Inc.,

12276-410: The needs of the next one or two campaigns, but rather by a long-term view of the market and our ability to deliver on our promises." As major airlines such as Qantas and Singapore Airlines selected the 787 over the A350, Humbert tasked an engineering team to produce new alternative designs. One such proposal, known internally as "1d", formed the basis of the A350 redesign. On 14 July 2006, during

12400-452: The only way to get to those concourses is via moving walkway from the Concourse C station, which is built in the location of the future gates and Concourse D by mobile lounge from the main terminal. In the short term, United Airlines has constructed a 20,000 square foot (1,900 m ) buildout on Concourse C between gate C18 and the AeroTrain entrance for use as a Polaris Lounge for international passengers. Further expansion plans include

12524-421: The operator of US Airways . The deal collapsed in mid-2001, due to opposition from the U.S. government and employees. Then came the tragedy of September 11 . The company ended 2001 with a record loss of $ 2.1 billion. As losses continued into 2002, Glenn Tilton, a former Texaco CEO with experience operating a troubled company, was brought in by UAL's board of directors to prevent bankruptcy, or, if needed, guide

12648-501: The possibility of a further stretch offering 45 more seats. A potential 4 m (13 ft) stretch would remain within the exit limit of four door pairs, and a modest MTOW increase from 308 t to 319 t would need only 3% more thrust, within the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 capabilities, and would allow a 7,600 nmi (14,100 km; 8,700 mi) range to compete with the 777-9's capabilities. This variant

12772-534: The purpose of replacing outdoor boarding areas at Concourse A. Construction is expected to cost between $ 500 million and $ 800 million and the airport is seeking $ 230 million grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. Construction on the concourse began in August 2024, and it is expected to open in 2026. Since many major domestic and international airlines have a large presence at Washington Dulles, there are many airline lounges within

12896-577: The rapid expansion of Washington's suburbs during the time, led to reconsideration of this plan. One competing plan called for the airport to be built in the Pender area of Fairfax County, while another called for the conversion of Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County , Maryland , into a commercial airport. The current site was selected by President Eisenhower in 1958; the Dulles name

13020-461: The seat will be 1.3 cm (0.5 in) wider than a 787 seat in the equivalent configuration. In the nine-abreast, 3–3–3 standard economy layout, the A350 seat will be 45 cm (18 in) wide, 1.27 cm (0.5 in) wider than a seat in the equivalent layout in the 787, and 3.9 cm (1.5 in) wider than a seat in the equivalent A330 layout. The current 777 and future derivatives have 1.27 cm (0.5 in) greater seat width than

13144-619: The time of the merger were: The company's subsidiaries at the time of the merger were: Washington Dulles International Airport Washington Dulles International Airport ( / ˈ d ʌ l ɪ s / DUL -iss ) ( IATA : IAD , ICAO : KIAD , FAA LID : IAD ) is an international airport in Loudoun County and Fairfax County in Northern Virginia , United States, 26 miles (42 km) west of downtown Washington, D.C. The airport, which opened in 1962,

13268-566: The whole order to the larger variant. Assembly of the first fuselage major components started in September 2015. In February 2016, final assembly started at the A350 Final Assembly Line in Toulouse. Three flight test aircraft were planned, with entry into service scheduled for mid-2017. The first aircraft completed its body join on 15 April 2016. Its maiden flight took place on 24 November 2016. The A350-1000 flight test programme planned for 1,600 flight hours; 600 hours on

13392-415: The years, however, causing Dulles to lose 200,000 passengers to Reagan between 2011 and 2013. In 2023, construction started on a 100 MW solar power facility, battery and bus charging equipment. It would include the largest airport-based solar and battery development in the U.S. as part of an agreement with Dominion Energy. The solar panels would cover more than 835 acres (338 ha) on land, equivalent to

13516-547: Was a £570 million (US$ 760 million or €745 million) composite facility in Broughton , Wales, which would be responsible for the wings. In June 2009, the National Assembly for Wales announced provision of a £28 million grant to provide a training centre, production jobs and money toward the new production centre. Airbus manufactured the first structural component in December 2009. Production of

13640-589: Was added on a new security mezzanine level of the main terminal. This checkpoint replaced previous checkpoints that were located behind the ticketing areas. Travelers enrolled in TSA PreCheck and CLEAR still use this area to clear security. A separate security checkpoint is available on the baggage claim level for staff only, and previously had access for all passengers as the Dulles Diamond area. Both public security checkpoints connect to escalators to

13764-595: Was an overall 8.22 out of 10. Dulles originally used airport code DIA, the initials of Dulles International Airport. When handwritten, it was often misread as DCA, the code for Washington National Airport, so in 1968 Dulles's code was changed to IAD. The airport's terminal complex consists of a main terminal (which includes four of the original gates, "Z" gates), and two parallel midfield terminal buildings: Concourses A/B and C/D. The entire terminal complex has 139 total gates: 123 gates with jetways and 16 hardstand locations from which passengers can board or disembark using

13888-423: Was announced, along with a wider interior cabin to offer 30 additional seats. The interior changes include moving the cockpit wall forward, moving the aft pressure bulkhead one frame further aft and resculpting the sidewalls to allow ten-abreast 17-inch seats. By November 2018, Airbus was hiring in Toulouse and Madrid to develop a re-engined A350neo. Although its launch is not guaranteed, it would be delivered in

14012-486: Was awarded by EASA on 21 November 2017, along FAA certification. The first serial unit was on the final assembly line in early December. After its maiden flight on 7 December 2017, delivery to launch customer Qatar Airways slipped to early 2018. The delay was due to issues with the business class seat installation. It was delivered on 20 February 2018 and entered commercial service on Qatar Airways' Doha to London Heathrow route on 24 February 2018. Airbus has explored

14136-421: Was built without any concourses and gates as all aircraft were parked at remote sites. Passengers were bussed to their aircraft by way of mobile lounges that raised up to the aircraft level, some are still in use today. The first midfield terminal that included gates and jetbridges was constructed in 1985 when New York Air and other airlines began hub operations at Dulles. In the 1990s, the main terminal at Dulles

14260-488: Was called off after problems in the credit markets, as well as weak support from labor groups, prevented the merger. UAL's United then decided to form an alliance with Continental. On May 2, 2010 United announced a full merger between the two carriers. The combined airline uses the trade name United Airlines with the Continental globe logo, which would be completed by October 1, 2010. The directors of UAL Corporation at

14384-548: Was chosen by Eisenhower's aviation advisor Pete Quesada , who later served as the first head of the Federal Aviation Administration . As a result of the site selection, the unincorporated, largely African-American community of Willard , which once stood in the airport's current footprint, was demolished, and 87 property owners had their holdings condemned. Dulles was also built over a lesser-known airport named Blue Ridge Airport, chartered in 1938 by

14508-644: Was competing against a hypothetical 777-10X for Singapore Airlines. At the 2017 Paris Air Show , the concept was shelved for lacking market appeal and in January 2018 Brégier focused on enhancing the A350-900/1000 to capture potential before 2022/2023, when it would be possible to stretch the A350 with a new engine generation. In October 2017, Airbus was testing extended sharklets , which could offer 100–140 nmi (185–259 km; 115–161 mi) extra range and reduce fuel burn by 1.4–1.6%. The wing twist

14632-408: Was obtained in September 2014, followed by certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) two months later. The A350 is the first Airbus aircraft largely made of carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers . The fuselage is designed around a nine-abreast economy cross-section, an increase from the eight-abreast A330/A340. It has a common type rating with the A330. The airliner has two variants:

14756-522: Was reconfigured to allow more space between the front of the building and the ticket counters. Additions at both ends of the main terminal more than doubled the structure's length. The original terminal at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan, was modeled after the Saarinen terminal at Dulles. The design included a landscaped man-made lake to collect rainwater, a low-rise hotel, and

14880-404: Was slightly more than double its originally constructed length of 600 feet (180 m). On September 22, 2009, an expansion to include the 41,400 square feet (3,850 m ) International Arrivals Building opened for customs and immigration processing with a capacity to process 2,400 passengers per hour. Also in September 2009, a 121,700 square feet (11,310 m ) central security checkpoint

15004-426: Was started on 5 April 2012. Final assembly of the first prototype A350 was completed in December 2012. In 2018, the unit cost of the A350-900 was US$ 317.4 million and the A350-1000 was US$ 366.5 million. The production rate was expected to rise from three aircraft per month in early 2015 to five at the end of 2015, and would ramp to ten aircraft per month by 2018. In 2015, 17 planes would be delivered and

15128-402: Was testing a hybrid laminar flow control (HLFC) on the leading edge of an A350 prototype vertical stabiliser, with passive suction similar to the boundary layer control on the Boeing 787-9 tail, but unlike the natural laminar flow BLADE , within the same EU Clean Sky program. On 30 September 2022, a 1.2 t (2,600 lb) weight reduction and a 3 t (6,600 lb) MTOW increase

15252-480: Was then delivered on 20 February 2018 to Qatar Airways, which had also been the launch operator of the -900. and entered the commercial service with a flight from Doha to London on 24 February 2018. The 60.45 m (198.3 ft)-long A350-800 was designed to seat 276 passengers in a typical three-class configuration with a range of 8,245 nmi (15,270 km; 9,488 mi) with an MTOW of 259 t (571,000 lb). In January 2010, Airbus opted to develop

15376-479: Was to be a replacement for the 747-400, tentatively called the A350-8000, -2000 or -1100. At the June 2016 Airbus Innovation Days, chief commercial officer John Leahy was concerned about the size of a 400-seat market besides the Boeing 747-8 and the 777-9 and chief executive Fabrice Brégier feared such an aircraft could cannibalise demand for the -1000. The potential 79 m-long (258 ft) aeroplane

#731268