Regional airport leaders are budgeting for a moderate rebound in passenger numbers after a decline in 2025.
The calendar year 2026 budget for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) anticipates about 12.8 million enplanements next year, up from a projected 12.6 million in 2025 but down from the record 13.1 million enplanements in 2024.
This year has presented a series of challenges for the 85-year-old facility. The seven-week federal shutdown, a soft regional economy, and new airspace restrictions and other residual impacts of January’s deadly collision between a commercial airliner and a U.S. Army helicopter all played a part.
Thorn Pozen, MWAA’s board chair, acknowledged that 2025 had been “a challenging year on a number of fronts,” particularly at Reagan National.
Strength at Dulles International Airport is helping to blunt some of the weakness at its closer-in older sibling, airport officials said.
The authority is in “a very positive budget situation even under some challenging times,” said Pozen, a D.C. representative on the body who, in December, will conclude two years of service as MWAA’s chair.
Meanwhile, leaders are expecting a year of growth at Dulles, with a projected 15.3 million enplanements in 2026 — up from an anticipated 14.6 million in 2025.
At Reagan National Airport, the projected “cost per enplanement” is $10.41 for 2026, up from $8.41 in the 2025 budget and from the current estimate of $7.72 for the current year.
Cost-per-enplanement figures calculate the estimated costs passed along by airports to airlines in charges and fees, divided by the estimated passenger total for the year. They help airlines determine where to deploy operations most cost-effectively.
At Dulles, the projected cost per enplanement is anticipated to rise from the budgeted $11.17 and the current estimate of $9.26 in 2025 to $12.77 in 2026.
“We are closely managing expenses” to maintain per-enplanement figures at reasonable levels, MWAA president/CEO Jack Potter said.
Current travel numbers at the two airports “continue to be strong,” he said.
The nearly $900 million MWAA 2026 budget, adopted Wednesday, represents an increase of $60.6 million, or 7.3%, from the current year.
On the operating side, the budget amounts are:
- $234.8 million for operations at Dulles, up 6.9% from the current year
- $128.5 million for operations at Reagan National, also up 6.9%
- $151.1 million for consolidated functions, up 7%
- $85.5 million for public safety, up 9.2%
The cost of debt service for the year is budgeted at $232.5 million at Dulles, up 9%, and $57.1 million at Reagan National, up 1.7%.
To bring in revenue that doesn’t come from airlines, the authority aims to focus on revenue from other sources. Its top three priority areas in the new budget: parking and other concessions, real-estate development, and digital revenue.
New MWAA leadership picked for 2026: Also at the Wednesday meeting, the MWAA board chose Mark Uncapher, a representative of Maryland, to succeed Pozen as chair on Jan. 1.
Uncapher currently serves as vice chair of the board and co-chair of the finance and strategic-development committees.
Chosen as vice chair was Alex Vogel, a Virginia representative who Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) appointed to the board last fall.
Vogel was nominated at the meeting after the body’s nominations committee failed to bring forward a candidate. There had been “no active nominations” at the committee level, said Kate Hanley, who chairs it.
At least one MWAA board member suggested Vogel’s year of tenure was not long enough to prime him for a leadership position.
Brett Gibson, a representative of Virginia, disagreed. Vogel “has been an engaged board member” and was ready for the position, Gibson said.
