Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is moving toward a full replacement of its small Terminal 1 gate area, but this is a long-range project rather than a construction change travelers will face next week. The current plan would remove the nine circular Banjo Gates, build a modern nine-gate concourse, and create a new passenger processing building between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
Planning documents point to an opening as soon as 2031, and the estimated cost stood at 835 million dollars in 2025. The proposal has reached the environmental review stage, which makes it more concrete than a loose idea, while the final design, funding sequence, construction schedule, and opening day can still change.
- What is planned: A new nine-gate concourse replacing Terminal 1’s Banjo Gates A1 through A9.
- Passenger building: A new processor would handle check in, baggage, and other front-of-house functions.
- Possible opening: As soon as 2031, according to airport financial planning cited in current reporting.
- Estimated cost: 835 million dollars in 2025 planning documents.
- Traveler reality now: Terminal 1 remains in use, and no immediate gate move is created by the draft review.
What the Reagan National proposal would replace
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s draft environmental assessment notice identifies Terminal 1’s existing Banjo Gates, numbered A1 through A9, for demolition. The circular concourse and its connecting structure date to 1970 and sit beside the airport’s landmark 1941 terminal.
The replacement would still have nine gates, so the project is not primarily about doubling the number of aircraft positions. It is about replacing an old layout with a larger, modern passenger environment that can better handle current airline activity, baggage, circulation, concessions, security support, and airport operations.
The official project scope also includes terminal roadway changes, airside apron work, stormwater infrastructure, and renovation of existing buildings. Those pieces explain why the price extends well beyond the visible gate concourse.
The Points Guy’s review of the planning documents reports that Southwest Airlines would likely remain the main Terminal 1 user, with Air Canada and Frontier also expected in the new concourse. Airline assignments can change before 2031, so that is a planning expectation rather than a permanent gate promise.
How the passenger path would change
The most important change for passengers is not the gate count. It is the location of check in, baggage drop, screening access, and the walk to the aircraft.
The plan places a new multilevel processor building on the current taxi staging area between terminals 1 and 2. Travelers would check in and hand over bags there, closer to the airport’s Metro connection and the larger Terminal 2 complex than the current Terminal 1 lobby.
After check in, passengers would descend toward the existing south security checkpoint in Terminal 2. The planned post-security path then turns back south, moving past the B gates, through the historic 1941 lobby after it is incorporated behind security, and onward to the replacement concourse.
That sequence unifies facilities that are now separated, but it creates a potentially long walk. Current planning estimates put the distance from check in to the farthest gate at about 2,700 feet, roughly half a mile before detours, lines, or a stop for food are added.
Travelers with mobility needs should not treat that distance as a final accessibility plan. Moving walkways, wheelchair procedures, elevators, wayfinding, seating, and assistance points will determine whether the finished route feels simple or tiring, and those operational details are not final today.
Why a nine-gate replacement can still cost 835 million dollars
Airport projects are often described by their gate count because that is easy to picture. In this case, the building systems around those gates are the larger story.
The proposal would create new check-in and baggage spaces, hold rooms, passenger circulation areas, concessions, airline support rooms, airport support facilities, security connections, apron pavement, roadway adjustments, and utility work. It also must connect new construction with historic and currently operating airport buildings.
Reagan National has a tight footprint between the Potomac River, active runways, roadways, Metro, and protected historic structures. Building inside that constrained site while keeping the airport open is more complex than placing a standalone concourse on vacant land.
The project also includes a planned airline lounge of about 10,000 square feet. No operator has been named, and the existence of lounge space in planning documents does not guarantee which airline or membership program will use it when the concourse opens.
The 835 million dollar figure is an estimate from 2025 financial documents. Material prices, design revisions, environmental conditions, phasing, and financing can move the final cost in either direction before construction is complete.
What travelers should expect before 2031
The draft environmental assessment does not close Terminal 1 or move today’s flights. Passengers should continue using the terminal shown by their airline and reservation, because the current operating plan remains in force until the airport announces a specific transition.
Construction staging will eventually matter. Road lanes, taxi areas, walkways, baggage systems, or curb access may change in phases, but the airport has not posted a traveler-facing sequence that should alter an upcoming trip now.
A future demolition date for the Banjo Gates will be one of the clearest operational milestones. Before that happens, airlines must have a workable gate plan and the airport must explain how passengers will reach flights during the transition.
Travelers visiting the capital can separate this airport project from the rest of the trip. Deep Arrival’s three-day Washington itinerary helps organize the city once the flight is settled, while the Terminal 1 proposal is mainly a future airport-access and walking-distance decision.
For near-term airport context, Deep Arrival’s report on Washington-area airport demand and current amenities covers the present operating environment. It should not be confused with a concourse that may not open until the next decade.
Floodplain and environmental review details
MWAA says the Terminal 1 redevelopment area lies within the 500-year floodplain, while a construction staging area lies in the 100-year floodplain. The draft says project elements in the redevelopment area would be designed consistently with other airport facilities and are not expected to create a floodplain impact.
That finding is part of a draft review, not a promise that severe weather can never affect the airport. It describes how the proposed construction is expected to interact with mapped flood risk under the assessment.
Environmental review gives agencies and the public a structured way to examine effects before a final build. It can produce design conditions, clarifications, or additional analysis, which is another reason travelers should watch for a final decision rather than treating every draft diagram as permanent.
How this differs from Project Journey
Reagan National completed its earlier Project Journey work in 2021. That approximately 1 billion dollar program added a 14-gate concourse and two new security checkpoint buildings, removing the much-criticized bus operation once associated with Gate 35X.
The Terminal 1 proposal addresses a different part of the airport. It would replace the older A-gate concourse and reorganize the original terminal’s landside and post-security flow.
Together, the projects show a continuing effort to modernize DCA without abandoning its compact location or historic architecture. They should still be evaluated separately because their gates, timelines, funding, and traveler impacts are different.
| If you are | What the plan means now |
|---|---|
| Flying from Terminal 1 this year | Use the terminal and gate shown by the airline; the draft project does not create an immediate move. |
| Concerned about walking distance | Watch final mobility and assistance plans because the farthest planned gate is about 2,700 feet from check in. |
| Planning a Washington trip for 2031 | Keep the airport choice flexible until MWAA confirms construction progress and an opening date. |
| Expecting nine extra gates | Reset expectations: the plan replaces nine existing gates with nine modern gates. |
| Waiting for a new lounge | Treat the 10,000-square-foot space as planned, but wait for an operator and access rules. |
- Environmental decision: Final review findings and any required project changes.
- Construction sequence: Road, curb, gate, and terminal changes that affect current passengers.
- Airline assignments: Confirmation of which carriers will use the replacement concourse.
- Mobility plan: Moving walkways, wheelchair assistance, elevators, and rest points along the long route.
- Opening target: A dated milestone that turns the broad 2031 estimate into a bookable planning fact.
The proposal is meaningful because it would change how Terminal 1 passengers check bags, clear security, walk through the historic airport, and reach their gates. It is not yet an immediate disruption, so the right response is to understand the direction and wait for construction milestones before changing a trip.
For travelers comparing Washington airports, the proposal strengthens DCA’s long-term case for short, close-in trips rather than changing today’s choice. The airport would keep the location advantage that makes it appealing, while replacing an older passenger path with a more complete terminal experience.
The tradeoff is that construction at a space-constrained airport can create temporary curb, roadway, and gate complexity long before the finished building opens. Travelers should rely on their airline assignment and MWAA alerts during each construction phase, not on a future rendering or a broad 2031 target.
The most useful near-term signal will be a detailed phasing plan. That will show whether passengers encounter temporary check-in moves, longer indoor walks, changing pickup zones, or gate reassignments while the new concourse is built and the Banjo Gates remain in service.
Is Reagan National Terminal 1 closing now?
No. MWAA is evaluating a redevelopment plan, and the current terminal continues operating until specific changes are announced.
How many gates would the new concourse have?
The plan calls for nine gates, replacing the nine existing Banjo Gates A1 through A9.
When could the replacement open?
Current reporting based on airport financial documents says as soon as 2031, but no exact opening date is final.
How far would the farthest gate be from check in?
Planning documents estimate about 2,700 feet from the new check-in area to the farthest gate.
Will the new concourse include a lounge?
The plan includes about 10,000 square feet for a lounge, but no operator or access policy has been announced.
