(DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT) A Trump-aligned nominee for the Washington region’s airport board, Trent Morse, is pressing to eliminate Dulles International Airport’s iconic “people movers,” arguing the rolling lounges are decades past their prime and “an embarrassment” to a global gateway that opened in 1962. His push, made public as he seeks a seat helping oversee operations at Dulles, would affect millions of domestic and international passengers each year, including new arrivals clearing federal inspection after long-haul flights.
Morse, a former Trump administration official and airline lobbyist, says the mobile lounges—custom shuttle vehicles that lift to aircraft doors or dock at concourses—slow aircraft turns and irritate passengers who expect direct rail links or fixed gates. He frames the proposal as a bet on a fully modern campus at Dulles, with fewer moving vehicles and more permanent infrastructure. “We should retire them,” he has said, calling their continued use “an embarrassment” six decades after they rolled into service.
Airport leadership response and ongoing investments
Airport managers do not agree with Morse. They insist the people movers still fill crucial gaps between the Saarinen-designed main terminal and far-flung gates, and they note the fleet is already locked into a long runway of service.
- Dulles has committed $160 million to refurbish 49 mobile lounges, signaling planners expect them to operate for at least the next 15 to 20 years.
- Officials cite safety upgrades, parts overhauls, and better reliability as reasons the vehicles can continue serving during a period of major construction and phased concourse work.
Aerotrain expansion and operational context
The clash over the people movers comes as Dulles continues to expand its Aerotrain, an underground automated system that started running in 2010.
- The Aerotrain currently connects the main terminal to several concourses and is slated to grow into a loop.
- Airport leaders say the expanded Aerotrain will reduce—but not immediately erase—dependence on mobile lounges.
- Until the loop is funded, built, and connected to every gate area, managers argue the rolling lounges remain useful for:
- irregular operations
- diversions
- widebody boarding in areas without fixed bridges
Safety concerns, incidents, and criticism
Critics say the mobile lounges have been tied to delays and high-profile mishaps, feeding public frustration.
- In one recent incident, a mobile lounge struck a terminal dock and injured 18 passengers, reviving questions about aging equipment and whether training, maintenance, or design contributed to the crash.
- While investigators examined the event, detractors like Morse amplified arguments that the system’s downsides now outweigh its charm—especially as peer hubs have retired similar vehicles in favor of automated trains and permanent concourses.
“We should retire them,” Morse has said, framing the issue as part modernization push and part criticism of outdated infrastructure.
Political dimensions
Morse’s pitch is not just about hardware — it’s also political.
- He supports a House proposal, H.R. 691, to rename Dulles after President Trump.
- He casts his modernization stance as consistent with honoring a past president while reshaping the airport’s future.
- That stance places him in a broader debate about the look, feel, and identity of one of the nation’s busiest international gateways and about who gets to define “modern.”
Renaming proposals tied to President Trump draw sharp reactions in the Washington region, and transport policy has become a proxy for broader political fights.
Practical impacts on passengers and operations
Passengers and airline crews experience the debate in practical ways.
- For travelers arriving from overseas and heading to primary inspection with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the experience can involve:
- a short train ride,
- a walk, or
- a bus-like transfer that can add minutes during peak surges.
- For airline operations teams, issues center on:
- ground times,
- flows between gates and the terminal,
- weather-related switching that can convert a smooth schedule into a scramble.
The stakes are highest during storms or equipment outages, when delays cascade across the network.
Immigration advocates and front-line staff balance operational flexibility with the need for safe, predictable arrival patterns. The airport’s layout, and the mix of trains and lounges, can shape how quickly families reach inspection booths and how stress levels rise after long flights.
Officials often direct travelers with questions about arrival processing to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for official guidance: https://www.cbp.gov. They note facility design and transport links work best when paired with clear information at the federal checkpoint.
Arguments for and against retiring the lounges
Supporters of Morse argue:
- The people movers are a relic and the Aerotrain should be the standard.
- A bolder investment approach—fast-tracking the Aerotrain loop and accelerating permanent concourse buildouts—would pay off in reliability, branding, and airline growth.
Skeptics respond:
- Timelines and budgets are not slogans.
- Replacing every function the lounges perform would require years of staged work under live operations.
- Careful staging is necessary to avoid crippling the hub.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the debate lands at a sensitive moment for Dulles, which is pitching itself as a growth airport for international carriers while extending rail access and retooling gate areas. Those plans depend on a balance: visible progress to reassure passengers and airlines, combined with enough flexibility to handle irregular days without stranding travelers.
Historical context
Dulles, designed by Eero Saarinen, is famous for its swooping roof and has long embraced the mobile lounge as part of its identity.
- When the airport opened in 1962, moving lounges to airplanes felt futuristic: they reduced walking distances and let the terminal carry the architectural weight.
- Over time, aircraft grew, security rules tightened, and passenger expectations shifted toward rail-based links to clustered gates.
- The Aerotrain answered much of that change, but remote hardstands, diversions, and some widebody operations still favor a vehicle that rises to a door and departs on its own schedule.
What happens next
Where Morse goes from here depends on the board selection process and how regional leaders view the balance of heritage and efficiency.
- If seated, he would join a board that has already committed to refurbishment, planning, and a long horizon for the people movers.
- His challenge would be pushing for faster change without disrupting day-to-day service.
- Supporters hope he can force tougher cost-benefit reviews.
- Critics warn that headlines about scrapping iconic equipment can distract from the hard work of building the Aerotrain loop and finishing permanent concourses on time and on budget.
For now, the airport’s position is clear: the people movers are staying, with money set aside to keep 49 vehicles in service while the Aerotrain grows. Morse’s argument is also clear: retire the lounges, finish the loop, and present a 21st-century face to the world.
Which view prevails will shape what passengers see when their aircraft doors open at Dulles — and whether their next steps involve a train platform, a short walk, or one more ride in a machine that helped define an era.
This Article in a Nutshell
Trent Morse, a Trump-aligned board nominee, pushes to retire Dulles’ mobile lounges, calling them antiquated. Airport leaders counter with a $160 million plan to refurbish 49 vehicles for continued service over the next 15–20 years while expanding the Aerotrain. The Aerotrain will lessen but not immediately remove dependence on mobile lounges, which still serve diversions and widebody operations. A recent incident injuring 18 passengers has intensified safety concerns. Political factors, including H.R. 691, add tension to the modernization debate.
