Tram-like vehicles known as “mobile lounges” at Dulles International Airport, which transport passengers from the main terminal to Concourse D, are a familiar sight for many D.C.-area travelers. Now, a lesser-known and older version of these lounges, called “plane mates,” is set to return.
Originally designed during the height of the Jet Age, nearly 30 plane mates are now sitting unused at airport facilities. But that will soon change, as the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has approved $16 million for the complete overhaul of two of these 1960-era vehicles.
Brookville Equipment Corporation has been tasked with redesigning the plane mates, which are seen as a temporary solution to a larger problem. The issue: There are no longer makers of the mobile lounges, and even the original manufacturer no longer supports the vehicles.
To address this, airports have increasingly shifted toward train-based transportation between concourses.
Although the retro-facelift approach did not receive unanimous support from MWAA board members, those in favor believe it buys time while a long-term solution is sought.
The project involves a complete ground-up engineering redesign, essentially creating a new vehicle atop the existing chassis.
A notable feature of the updated “plane mates” will be their ability to connect directly to aircraft, enabling passengers to deplane and board them for transportation back to the main terminal.
The success of the new vehicles will determine whether the rest of the 18 “mobile lounges” and 29 “plane mate” vehicles will undergo repairs over the next six years, an undertaking estimated to cost over $140 million based on MWAA recommendations.
Once complete, the vehicles are expected to be operational for 20 years before further solutions need to be explored to address transportation challenges.
One potential option on the table is the expansion of the automated AeroTrain train system, which has been operating at Dulles since 2010.
