The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority continues to make progress in whittling down the costs it passes to airlines that use Washington Dulles International and Ronald Reagan Washington National airports.
Full-year 2023 cost-per-enplanement totals were $15.71 at Dulles and $9.38 at National, according to figures presented May 15 to the airports authority’s board of directors.
That compares to budgeted amounts of $15.98 and $9.90, respectively. Totals for 2023 were $17.69 at Dulles and $11.15 at Reagan National.
As the name suggests, cost-per-enplanement takes the airport-related costs paid by airlines and divides them into the total passenger count. It is a relatively apples-to-apples way to compare costs borne by airlines (and, ultimately, travelers) at airports across the country.
Reagan National’s figure of $9.38 is below the pre-pandemic total of $11.49 reported in 2019, while at Dulles the rate of $15.71 is still above the 2019 level ($14.82). In 2020, the year air travel was most affected by the pandemic, cost-per-passenger figures spiked to $37.59 for Dulles and $28.66 for National.
