18 Injured as People Carrier Crashes at Washington Dulles Airport
At least 18 people were injured Monday afternoon when a people carrier—also known as a mobile lounge—crashed into a terminal dock at Washington Dulles International Airport, authorities said. The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. EST (21:30 GMT) and caused visible damage to the terminal structure.
According to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), the vehicle struck a docking bay while transporting passengers from Concourse D. The impact injured multiple passengers, who were able to exit the vehicle using stairs before being taken to nearby hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Airport officials confirmed that Dulles remains open and operating normally.
Crystal Nosal, an MWAA spokeswoman, said the mobile lounge “struck the dock at an angle as it was pulling up to the terminal.” It remains unclear how many passengers were aboard at the time of the crash. The MWAA said investigators are reviewing what caused the collision, including whether mechanical failure or driver error was involved.
The incident has renewed debate over Dulles Airport’s continued use of its aging fleet of mobile lounges—a system unique to the airport that dates back to its 1959 opening. Originally designed to shuttle travelers between terminals and aircraft, the mobile lounges were intended as a futuristic solution for passenger convenience. Today, many critics consider them outdated and inefficient.
“Government, just do your job,” one frustrated traveler told local reporters, reflecting broader passenger dissatisfaction as the airport faces additional challenges caused by the ongoing federal government shutdown. The shutdown has led to significant staffing shortages among air traffic controllers and federal security personnel, resulting in nationwide flight delays and longer security lines.
Dulles currently operates 19 mobile lounges, each capable of carrying up to 102 passengers between aircraft parking positions and terminal gates. Despite their long history, airport modernization advocates argue the vehicles should be phased out in favor of fixed automated systems similar to those at newer airports.
Earlier this week, Trent Morse, a former Trump administration official nominated to the MWAA board, criticized the continued use of the people movers during a Senate confirmation hearing. “The people mover is a relic of the past,” Morse said. “It’s an embarrassment that international travelers, visiting the capital of the most powerful nation in the world, are transported back to the sixties.”
According to NBC Washington, mobile lounges at Dulles were involved in 16 reported accidents between 2007 and 2017, including one fatal crash. Monday’s collision marks the most serious incident involving a people carrier at the airport in several years.
The crash comes amid broader operational strain across U.S. airports as the FAA has ordered 40 major hubs, including Dulles, to reduce air traffic by 10% due to limited staffing during the government shutdown. Aviation safety experts note that while the incident appears isolated, it adds to the growing list of transportation challenges facing one of the nation’s most important international gateways.
As investigations continue, Dulles officials said all runways and flight operations remain unaffected. However, the incident has reignited calls to replace the airport’s decades-old transport vehicles—symbols of mid-century innovation that have become reminders of an aging infrastructure struggling to keep up with modern air travel demands.
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