Delay-cutting Fourth Runway to Debut at Washington Dulles

Once upon a time, when it first opened in 1962, Washington Dulles (IAD) was considered a bit of a white elephant, an underused, massive airfield that might never reach its potential.

That was once upon a time. These days, Dulles is a powerhouse on the western reaches of the D.C. Beltway, a place from where you can reach vast swaths of the planet, nonstop. It’s so busy that the three-runway setup it was saddled with just couldn’t handle the traffic without delays from time to time.

Soon, very soon, delays could plummet at IAD. That’s because a fourth runway is set to come on line tomorrow (Thursday, November 20) just in time for the Thanksgiving crush. Then, Dulles will be able to handle three simultaneous take offs or landings. That’s a real boon to capacity.

The strip is 150 feet wide, and 9,400 feet long. It’s fitted with high-speed exit taxiways, the kind that gets aircraft off active runways faster. That enhances safety.

Washington Dulles is United Airlines’ major East Coast gateway, and the spoke for a number of international carriers fielding service to Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East.

© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler