Consumer research firm J.D. Power and Associates recently ranked Washington’s Dulles International Airport third worst in customer satisfaction among medium-sized airports, reports the Post. In large part, the poor ranking stems from the interminable security lines that snake their way through the soaring Eero Saarinen-designed concourse, as any early morning or early evening traveler can attest.

In addition, the newest airline on Dulles’ block, Independence Air, is facing continued financial problems and recently announced it will eliminate more than 25 percent of its flights, most of which originate and terminate at Dulles. The airline says it will not eliminate service to any of the 38 cities it currently serves — in fact, it is touting the arrival of new Airbus A319s, which will fly from Dulles to West Palm Beach (beginning Feb. 1) and Fort Myers (beginning Feb. 17) — but instead will reduce the frequency of flights to existing destinations. If Independence Air is unable to renegotiate its existing debts, it has indicated that it will have to file for Chapter 11 protection by the end of this month.

Independence Air’s low-fare structure has been a boon for Northern Virginia residents (such as this DCist) who prefer not to have to make the trek up to Baltimore-Washington International Airport to secure a low-cost flight, as many other carriers try to match Independence Air’s prices on similar routes. DCist knows that Dulles is not the easiest airport to get to for non-car-owners, and the probability of the Orange Line extension to the airport has just become even more remote, but we all can agree that more low-fare options in the region are something to be desired — even if you have to wait 45 minutes to get through security.

The above photo of Dulles in the morning is from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority website.

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