A nominee to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Board of Directors told lawmakers this week he plans to phase out the over 60-year-old mobile lounges at Washington Dulles International Airport if confirmed to the post.
Trent Morse appeared before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on Tuesday as part of his confirmation hearing. His nomination, submitted by President Trump for a term expiring May 30, 2030, would place him on the 17-member board overseeing both Ronald Reagan Washington National and Dulles airports.
“The people mover is a relic of the past,” Morse said during opening remarks. “It’s an embarrassment that international travelers, visiting the capital of the most powerful nation in the world, are transported back to the sixties. If I have the privilege of being confirmed, I will work tirelessly with my colleagues to make Dulles the airport we should be proud of.”
Morse said his top priorities would include maintaining safety and security across the MWAA system and supporting continued modernization efforts at both airports. “With the recent events at DCA and the plans for continued modernization and expansion, I will uphold the highest standards of safety, ethical integrity, and transparency,” he told senators.
He added that MWAA’s “mission to ensure that every passenger receives the highest level of safety and customer service will remain my guiding focus,” noting that the authority “plays a vital role in connecting our nation’s capital to the world.”
‘People Movers’
Dulles’ mobile lounges, also known as “people movers,” were introduced when the airport opened in 1962. Designed by Eero Saarinen and built by Chrysler and the Budd Company, the vehicles were intended to transport passengers directly between the terminal and aircraft parked on remote stands.
The concept was innovative for its time, but became increasingly outdated as air traffic and terminal facilities grew. Over the years, the airport has gradually shifted most passengers to the underground Aerotrain system, though most international arrivals and remote gates still rely on the mobile lounges.
MWAA executives have stated that the mobile lounges will be around for decades to come, calling them a critical part of the airport’s infrastructure. The mobile lounges “will remain essential for the next 15 to 20 years,” Thomas Beatty, chief operations officer for MWAA, told board members in September.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is governed by a 17-member board representing multiple jurisdictions. Members are appointed by the governors of Virginia and Maryland, the mayor of the District of Columbia, and the President of the United States.
“If confirmed, I will work diligently and collaboratively with this Committee and my fellow Board members to advance the mission of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (and get rid of the people mover),” he said. “It would be an honor to serve in this position, and I look forward to your questions.”