United to invest at least $34m at Washington Dulles

United and the operator of Washington Dulles International airport have reached an agreement to invest at least $34m in a concourse expansion. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) will reimburse the Chicago-based carrier up to $33.8m for construction of an extension to concourse C to house a new premium Polaris lounge at Dulles, a presentation to the operator's board shows. The initial deal was first reported by FlightGlobal in August. Jack Potter, CE of MWAA, said at the time that the ground floor of the planned extension would be used to improve the flow of international arriving passengers. The lounge will be on the departures level. "That's part of improving the passenger experience," he said. MWAA would only reimburse United for enabling work and building the structure, not for interior fittings or other investments in the lounge, according to the presentation. The airline would manage construction. In addition, the presentation makes no mention of a replacement of concourses C and D at Dulles, which opened as "temporary" facilities in the mid-1980s. The deal is a step by United towards fulfilling its goal to open Polaris lounges, which are part of a larger investment in passenger-facing products like new business-class seats and a premium economy cabin, at all of its gateway hubs. <br/>