Full-Service Spa, New Restaurants Coming to DCA

Some big changes are in store for Terminal A at Reagan National Airport.

The 40+ year old terminal will be getting the airport’s first full-service spa, plus new restaurants and stores, as part of a “comprehensive physical upgrade to the facility,” the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority announced last night.

The “sweeping” changes also include publicly-accessible iPads and charging stations, plus a renovated lobby and an expansion of the security checkpoints.

“It has long been the Airports Authority’s desire to modernize and optimize the passenger experience in Terminal A at Reagan National,” said Paul Malandrino, airport manager at Reagan National, in a press release.

The Airports Authority plans to have some of the new restaurants and stores open this spring. The rest of the changes are expected by the spring of 2015. Last year Reagan National Airport served a record 20.4 million passengers, which represents a year-over-year increase of nearly 4 percent.

The full press release from the Airports Authority, after the jump.

Sweeping retail and restaurant changes are coming to Terminal A at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport by the spring of 2015, the culmination of a comprehensive physical upgrade to the facility.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority announced Wednesday at its monthly board of directors meeting that full-service dining, publicly accessible iPads and charging stations and an expanded lineup of food, beverage and retail options will be part of the newest passenger comforts incorporated into the nine-gate terminal. The redesigned Terminal A, which originally opened more than 40 years ago, will also boast the airport’s first full-service spa.

Airports Authority CEO Jack Potter told the board that a joint venture of two companies, OTG and BMG, has been selected to manage the Terminal A concessions development, working with MarketPlace Development, the Authority’s main contractor for concessions management.

“OTG has more than 17 years of experience in 10 airports,” Potter said, adding that “BMG is also an experienced operator, with food and beverage locations in New York and Boston. We plan to create a food and retail experience in Terminal A featuring restaurants affiliated with well-known chefs, and we plan to engage with local community partnerships to provide experience for under-served young adults who aspire to pursue careers in culinary services.”

The new array of shops and restaurants will be a highly visible component of the Airports Authority’s ongoing program to convert or reconstruct 95 percent of all Reagan National and Washington Dulles International Airport concessions through 2015. The first phase of new shop and restaurant openings is expected this spring.

“It has long been the Airports Authority’s desire to modernize and optimize the passenger experience in Terminal A at Reagan National,” said Paul Malandrino, airport manager at Reagan National.

In addition to the concessions redevelopment, the terminal is undergoing multiple structural improvements. A lobby renovation, which includes new flooring and fixtures and allows more natural light, was completed in 2013. An expansion of security checkpoints will be completed this year. These projects will clear the way for new shop and restaurant offerings to come soon afterward.

“We believe the new shops and restaurants will transform the terminal into a more popular destination for passengers flying at Reagan,” said Steve Baker, vice president for business administration at the Airports Authority.