News & Politics

Despised Airport Gate 35X Will Be Gone Sooner Than Planned

A new 14-gate concourse at Reagan National Airport is set to open as soon as April 20. 

Rendering of the new 14-gate concourse at Reagan National Airport.

Gate 35X at Reagan National Airport might as well be the Gates of Hell. The flight portal has become infamous for not really being a gate at all. Rather, it’s a human traffic jam where you might get elbowed in the eye so you can reach an escalator that takes you to a bus terminal that takes you to your remotely parked airplane. It’s the kind of place where you might lose your carry-on and your faith in humanity. And it’s the kind of place where Robert Mueller and Donald Trump Jr. had an awkward run-in in 2018, because, of course.

Airport officials have long planned to replace the 35X bussing system with a proper 14-gate concourse. So here’s some good news: looks like it will happen sooner rather than later. Airline Weekly reports that the American Airlines concourse will open three months earlier than anticipated. Turns out that the decline in air traffic during the pandemic helped accelerated construction work. It’s now slated to open as soon as April 20.

See you never, 35X.

Here’s a riveting look at the new concourse:

Jessica Sidman
Food Editor

Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.