Passengers Will Help Pay For $1B Reagan Airport Project: Report

ARLINGTON, VA — That $4.50 fee slapped on airline tickets at Reagan National Airport isn't going away anytime soon -- the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority wants to keep it to help pay for its $1 billion capital improvement effort, according to a report.

The Washington Business Journal reports that the MWAA board will be asked to approve a new Passenger Facility Charge application to pay for a portion of the project, named Project Journey.

The Federal Aviation Administration will need to approve the application. WBJ says this is the 10th PFC request since 1992, and the current one is set to expire in February 2023.

Project Journey involves the construction of new security checkpoints and a new 14-gate concourse at Reagan Airport.

The Reagan Airport website notes that the airport was originally intended to serve 15 million passengers each year, but today more than 23 million passengers use the airport annually, providing a major strain to airport infrastructure.

The new security checkpoints will be located between National Hall and walkways from the Metrorail station and parking garages. The new checkpoints will expand screening capacity from 20 to 28 lanes, speeding up processing of passengers.

The terminal will also be reconfigured so that passengers can move freely between gate areas without having to pass through a checkpoint and be rescreened. Currently, gates are clustered in a few separated sections.

Additionally, the project will involve providing passengers with "greater connectivity, more shopping and dining choices and a more pleasant post-security environment," the website states.

You may have already noticed some traffic issues around the airport as a result.

"During the current phase of construction, traffic backups have become more common as vehicles navigate narrowed roadways near the work zone," the website states. "The airport is taking measures to keep traffic moving, while advising travelers to minimize trips on airport roads to avoid delays."