Washington’s Airports Set Record with 53.9 Million Passengers in 2025

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority reported that more than 53.9 million passengers traveled through Washington Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in 2025, setting a new annual record for the two-airport system.

Strong gains at Dulles International were enough to offset a decline at Reagan National, which had posted record traffic in 2024.

Dulles Posts Record International and Total Traffic

Dulles handled 29.01 million passengers in 2025, including a record 10.53 million international travelers. Total passenger traffic increased 6.4 percent year over year, driven largely by growth in domestic arrivals and connecting passengers.

By year’s end, Dulles was served by 46 airlines offering more than 340 daily departures to 164 destinations. New entrants in 2025 included Royal Jordanian and Contour Airlines, and six new destinations were added to the airport’s route map.

United Airlines, Dulles’ largest carrier, continued to expand operations at the airport, referring to the current growth period as the “Decade of Dulles.”

To accommodate continued traffic gains, Dulles is scheduled to open a new 435,000-square-foot concourse this fall. The 14-gate facility will serve United customers, provide direct access to the airport’s train system and introduce more than 15 additional retail and dining locations. Additional concourse expansions are in the design phase as part of the airport’s long-term master plan.

Reagan National Sees Decline Following Record 2024

At Reagan National, 24.89 million passengers traveled through the airport in 2025, representing a 5.3 percent decrease from the 26.29 million passengers recorded in 2024.

Airport officials attributed the decline to softening demand for government-related travel, the impact of a 43-day federal shutdown and the aftermath of a January aircraft disaster that claimed 67 lives.

Operations at Reagan National are governed by federal limits on the number of scheduled takeoffs and landings, most of which operate on a single primary runway to manage congestion. At the end of 2025, the airport was served by eight airlines offering more than 400 daily departures to 108 destinations.

Systemwide Growth Continues

Despite the decline at Reagan National, overall passenger growth across the Washington region underscores sustained demand in the capital area’s air travel market.

In addition to operating the two airports, the Airports Authority also manages the Dulles Airport Access Highway and the Dulles Toll Road, and previously oversaw construction of the Silver Line extension of the region’s Metrorail system, which began service to Dulles in 2022.

The record-setting 2025 results highlight the expanding role of Dulles as an international gateway, while Reagan National continues to operate within federally mandated capacity constraints.