Airliners.net

I have been through DCA a couple times recently and I have a question. It looks like terminal A used to have an additional pier on it. This was demolished. I am curious why this space wasn’t repurposed as additional gate space?

putthoff, you are correct, there was an additional concourse just to the north of the current "banjo" concourse--currently Gates 1 - 9--the concourse currently serving Southwest, Frontier, and Air Canada (and recently Sun Country) as well. It was one of the most unusual piers I have ever seen in the sense that it was actually divided linearly down the middle into two separate concourses. At the time that pier existed, there were eight gates on the "Banjo" concourse--Gates 1 - 8, which were used (4 gates each) by Northwest and TWA.

Now with reference to the pier you are asking about, the south portion of the concourse was accessed from a corridor just to the left of the large windows off the ticketing lobby/baggage claim area for Air Canada, Frontier, and Sun Country. It contained five upper level boarding lounges (Gates 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14) and was used primarily by American Airlines. From time to time, American subleased the gates (generally Gate 14) to New York Air and Air Florida.

The north portion of the concourse was accessed via stairs/escalator from the Main Terminal and contained three lower level boarding lounges (Gates 15, 16, and 17) and was used over time by Allegheny, perhaps Mohawk, USAir, and Pan American/Pan Am Shuttle. From what I recall, there was no "direct access" between the lower level and the upper level of the same concourse.

I do not know the reason the area was not redesigned for additional gates. From what I have observed, the area is currently used for overnight parking as well as parking of ground support equipment and airport authority vehicles.

Although you did not ask, the area just in front of the Main Terminal (below the now-closed observation deck) also contained several lower level boarding lounges--Gates 18, 19, and 20--you can still see the stairs that led down to the gates just to the right of the Main lobby--and were used by Eastern Air Lines and the Eastern shuttle. That area is also used for overnight parking and there are some covered parking spaces for airport operations vehicles.

Perhaps there is someone on Airliners.net that has more information as to why that area was redesigned as it is today, but years ago it was a very unusual and fascinating terminal/gate arrangement. I can't think of many concourses I have been to that had upper level boarding lounges on one side of the pier and lower level boarding lounges on the other side.

e38

e38 wrote:

putthoff, you are correct, there was an additional concourse just to the north of the current "banjo" concourse--currently Gates 1 - 9--the concourse currently serving Southwest, Frontier, and Air Canada (and recently Sun Country) as well. It was one of the most unusual piers I have ever seen in the sense that it was actually divided linearly down the middle into two separate concourses. At the time that pier existed, there were eight gates on the "Banjo" concourse--Gates 1 - 8, which were used (4 gates each) by Northwest and TWA.

Now with reference to the pier you are asking about, the south portion of the concourse was accessed from a corridor just to the left of the large windows off the ticketing lobby/baggage claim area for Air Canada, Frontier, and Sun Country. It contained five upper level boarding lounges (Gates 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14) and was used primarily by American Airlines. From time to time, American subleased the gates (generally Gate 14) to New York Air and Air Florida.

The north portion of the concourse was accessed via stairs/escalator from the Main Terminal and contained three lower level boarding lounges (Gates 15, 16, and 17) and was used over time by Allegheny, perhaps Mohawk, USAir, and Pan American/Pan Am Shuttle. From what I recall, there was no "direct access" between the lower level and the upper level of the same concourse.

I do not know the reason the area was not redesigned for additional gates. From what I have observed, the area is currently used for overnight parking as well as parking of ground support equipment and airport authority vehicles.

Although you did not ask, the area just in front of the Main Terminal (below the now-closed observation deck) also contained several lower level boarding lounges--Gates 18, 19, and 20--you can still see the stairs that led down to the gates just to the right of the Main lobby--and were used by Eastern Air Lines and the Eastern shuttle. That area is also used for overnight parking and there are some covered parking spaces for airport operations vehicles.

Perhaps there is someone on Airliners.net that has more information as to why that area was redesigned as it is today, but years ago it was a very unusual and fascinating terminal/gate arrangement. I can't think of many concourses I have been to that had upper level boarding lounges on one side of the pier and lower level boarding lounges on the other side.

e38

E38--thanks! Great information. I have looked for pics to try and get a sense of the old terminal. Thanks for all the info!