Denver International Airport

This article is about the current airport open since 1995. For the airport previously serving Denver, Colorado, see Stapleton International Airport.

Denver International Airport
IATA: DEN ICAO: KDEN FAA LID: DEN WMO: 72565
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	City & County of Denver Department of Aviation
Operator	City & County of Denver Department of Aviation
Serves	Denver, Front Range Urban Corridor
Location	Northeast Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Opened	February 28, 1995(26 years ago) (1995-02-28)
Hub for	Frontier Airlines United Airlines
Focus city for	Southwest Airlines
Elevation  AMSL	5,434 ft / 1,656 m
Coordinates	39°51′42″N104°40′23″W / 39.86167°N 104.67306°W / 39.86167; -104.67306 Coordinates: 39°51′42″N104°40′23″W / 39.86167°N 104.67306°W / 39.86167; -104.67306
Website	flydenver.com
Maps
FAA airport diagram
DEN Show map of the United States DEN Show map of Colorado
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 7/25 12,000 3,658 Concrete 8/26 12,000 3,658 Concrete 16L/34R 12,000 3,658 Concrete 16R/34L 16,000 4,877 Concrete 17L/35R 12,000 3,658 Concrete 17R/35L 12,000 3,658 Concrete
Statistics (2020)
Passengers 33,741,129 Aircraft operations 442,571 Total cargo (lbs.) 661,094,348 Economic impact (2018) $33.5 billion [1]
Source: Denver International Airport [2]

Denver International Airport( IATA : DEN, ICAO : KDEN, FAA LID : DEN), locally known as DIA, is an international airport in the Western United States, primarily serving metropolitan Denver, Colorado, as well as the greater Front Range Urban Corridor. At 33,531 acres (52.4 sq mi; 135.7 km²), ^[3] it is the largest airport in North America by land area and the second largest in the world, behind King Fahd International Airport. ^[4] Runway 16R/34L, with a length of 16,000 feet (3.03 mi; 4.88 km), is the longest public use runway in North America and the seventh longest in the world. The airport is 25 miles (40 km) driving distance from Downtown Denver, ^[5] which is 19 miles (31 km) farther away than Stapleton International Airport, the airport DIA replaced. ^[6]

Opened in 1995, DEN currently has non-stop service to 215 destinations amongst 23 different airlines throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia; it is the fourth airport in the U.S. to exceed 200 destinations. ^[7] The airport is a hub for both United Airlines and Frontier Airlines and a base for Southwest Airlines. With over 35,000 employees, the airport is the largest employer in Colorado. The airport is located on the western edge of the Great Plains and within sight of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.

History

The Air Traffic Control Tower and Concourse C at Denver International Airport with a United Airlines Boeing 737-800 taxiing below

Denver has traditionally been home to one of the busier airports in the United States because of its location. Many airlines, including United Airlines, Western Airlines, former Frontier Airlines, Continental Airlines and People Express were hubbed at the former Stapleton International Airport. At times, Stapleton was a hub for three or four airlines. Reasons that justified the construction of the new DEN were that space was severely limited at Stapleton, and its runways were unable to deal efficiently with Denver's weather and wind patterns, causing nationwide travel disruption.

From 1980 to 1983, the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) investigated six areas for a new metro area airport that were north and east of Denver. In September 1989, under the leadership of Denver Mayor Federico Peña, federal officials authorized the outlay of the first $60 million (equivalent to $125 million today) for the construction of DEN. Two years later, Mayor Wellington Webb inherited the megaproject, scheduled to open on October 29, 1993. ^[8]

Delays caused by poor planning and repeated design changes due to changing requirements from United Airlines caused Mayor Webb to push opening day back, first to December 1993, then to March 1994. By September 1993, delays due to a millwright strike and other events meant opening day was pushed back again, to May 15, 1994. In April 1994, the city invited reporters to observe the first test of the new automated baggage system. Reporters were treated to scenes of clothing and other personal effects scattered beneath the system's tracks, while the actuators that moved luggage from belt to belt would often toss the luggage right off the system instead. The mayor cancelled the planned May 15 opening. The baggage system continued to be a maintenance hassle and was finally terminated in September 2005, with traditional baggage handlers manually handling cargo and passenger luggage. ^[9] On September 25, 1994, the airport hosted a fly-in that drew several hundred general aviation aircraft, providing pilots with a unique opportunity to operate in and out of the new airport, and to wander around on foot looking at the ground-side facilities—including the baggage system, which was still under testing. FAA controllers also took advantage of the event to test procedures, and to check for holes in radio coverage as planes taxied around and among the buildings.

DEN finally replaced Stapleton on February 28, 1995, 16 months behind schedule and at a cost of $4.8 billion (equivalent to $8.2 billion today), ^[10] nearly $2 billion over budget ($3.4 billion today). ^[6] The construction employed 11,000 workers. ^[11] United Airlines Flight 1062 to Kansas City International Airport was the first to depart DIA and United Flight 1474 from Colorado Springs Airport was the first to arrive at the new airport. ^[6] After the airport's runways were completed but before it opened, the airport used the codes ( IATA : DVX, ICAO : KDVX). DIA later took over ( IATA : DEN, ICAO : KDEN) as its codes from Stapleton when the latter airport closed.

In September 2003, the sixth and longest runway –16R/34L – was added; at 16,000 ft (3.0 mi; 4.9 km), it is 4,000 ft (0.76 mi; 1.2 km) longer than the other runways. Its length –exceeded by only six other runways in the world –allows fully-laden Airbus A380s and Boeing 747-8s to take off in hot and high conditions at the airport, which is roughly 1 mi (1.6 km) above sea level.

During a blizzard on March 17–19, 2003, the weight of heavy snow tore a hole in the terminal's white fabric roof, and over 2 feet (0.61 m) of snow on paved areas closed the airport and its main access road (Peña Boulevard) for almost two days, stranding several thousand people. ^{[12] [13]}

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 taxis north at Denver International Airport.

In 2004, DEN was ranked first in major airports for on-time arrivals according to the FAA. Another blizzard on December 20–21, 2006, dumped over 20 inches (51 cm) of snow in about 24 hours. The airport was closed for more than 45 hours, stranding thousands. ^[14] Following this, the airport invested heavily in new snow-removal equipment that has led to a dramatic reduction in runway occupancy times to clear snow, down from an average of 45 minutes in 2006 to just 15 minutes in 2014.

After shunning DEN for over a decade due to high fees, Southwest Airlines entered the airport in January 2006 with 13 daily flights. ^[15] Southwest has since rapidly expanded and is now the airport's second-largest carrier after United. ^[16]

On September 9, 2015, a political campaign was launched by Mayor Michael Hancock to radically expand commercial development at DIA, development previously prohibited by intergovernmental agreement between Denver and Adams County. ^[17] The changes to the agreement were approved by both Denver and Adams County voters in November 2015. ^[18] On November 19, 2015, the first part of a Hotel and Transit Center, the hotel, opened adjacent to the Jeppesen Terminal. On April 22, 2016, commuter rail service to the Hotel and Transit Center from Denver Union Station began.

In 2018, work began on a major interior renovation and reconfiguration including the beginning phases of construction to relocate two out of the three TSA security checkpoints from the Great Hall on Level 5 to Level 6 (East & West) while simultaneously updating and consolidating airline ticket counters/check-in for all airlines. Eventually, both pre- and post-security gathering and leisure areas will be incorporated into the spaces where both expansive TSA security areas on Level 5 are currently located. The third TSA security checkpoint currently accessible via the Concourse A bridge is expected to be removed. The renovation and reconfiguration will bring back the original intent and use of the Great Hall as a large commons area for airport patrons and visitors to enjoy. This phased terminal project is expected to be completed by 2025. ^[19]

Additionally, work is underway on expanding all three concourses, with 12 new gates being added to A (including several gates with direct access to U.S. Customs and Border Protection), 11 to B, and 16 to C for a total of 39 gates. ^[20] Following the completion of this project, United Airlines will lease 24 additional gates on both A and B (bringing its total gate count at DEN to around 90), as well as build a new United Club in A and expand their existing clubs in B. ^[21] Southwest Airlines will lease 16 of the new gates on C bringing its total gate count at DEN to 40. ^[22] When both the ongoing terminal and concourse projects are completed, the airport will be able to handle upwards of 90 million passengers per year. ^[23]

Facilities

The pedestrian bridge connecting the Jeppesen Terminal with Concourse A

Overhead view of the Concourse C train station

The airport is 25 miles (40 km) driving distance from Downtown Denver, which is 19 miles (31 km) farther away than Stapleton International Airport, the airport DIA replaced. ^[6] The distant location was chosen to avoid aircraft noise affecting developed areas, to accommodate a generous runway layout that would not be compromised by blizzards, and to allow for future expansion.

The 52.4 square miles (136 km²; 33,500 acres) ^[3] of land occupied by the airport is more than one and a half times the size of Manhattan (33.6 square miles or 87 square kilometres). DIA occupies the largest amount of commercial airport land area in North America, by a great extent. The land was transferred from Adams County to Denver after a 1989 vote, ^[24] increasing the city's size by 50 percent and bifurcating the western portion of the neighboring county. All freeway traffic accessing the airport from central Denver leaves the city and passes through Aurora for nearly two miles (3.2 km), making the airport a practical exclave. Similarly, the A Line rail service connecting the airport with downtown Denver has two intervening stations in Aurora.

Terminal

DIA has one terminal, named The Jeppesen Terminal after aviation safety pioneer Elrey Borge Jeppesen, and three midfield concourses, spaced far apart. ^[25] Concourse A is accessible via a pedestrian bridge directly from the terminal building, as well as via the underground train system that services all three concourses. For access to Concourses B and C, passengers must utilize the train. All international arrivals without border pre-clearance are processed in Concourse A.

• Concourse A has 51 gates, including several ground level boarding slips. ^[25]
• Concourse B has 66 gates. ^[25]
• Concourse C has 29 gates. ^[25]

United operates two United Clubs in Concourse B and will be opening one in Concourse A soon. ^[26] American Airlines and Delta Air Lines operate an Admirals Club and Sky Club respectively in Concourse A. ^{[27] [28]} American Express operates a Centurion Lounge in Concourse C. ^[29]

Art & Aesthetics

The Teflon-coated fiberglass roof of Denver International Airport resembles the Rocky Mountains.

The Jeppesen Terminal's internationally recognized peaked roof, designed by Fentress Bradburn Architects, resembles snow-capped mountains and evokes the early history of Colorado when Native American teepees were located across the Great Plains. The catenary steel cable system, similar to the Brooklyn Bridge design, supports the fabric roof. DIA is also known for a pedestrian bridge connecting the terminal to Concourse A that allows travelers to walk from the main Terminal to Concourse A, while viewing planes taxiing beneath them. It offers views of the Rocky Mountains to the west and the high plains to the east.

Both during construction and after opening, DIA has set aside a portion of its construction and operation budgets for art. The corridor from the main terminal and Concourse A frequently displays temporary art exhibits. A number of public artworks are present in the underground train that links the main terminal with concourses, including art pieces from the history of Colorado.

The airport features a bronze statue of Denver native Jack Swigert in Concourse B. Swigert flew on Apollo 13 as Command Module Pilot, and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1982, but died of cancer before he was sworn in. The statue is dressed in an A7L pressure suit, and is posed holding a gold-plated helmet. It is a duplicate of a statue placed at the United States Capitol in 1997. ^[30]

Denver International Airport has four murals, all of which have been the topic of conspiracy theorists and debate. The murals are ambiguous in meaning, depicting scenes including caged animals, fires, suffering people, and a soldier with a blade and a gas mask. They have been interpreted in the past by onlookers to represent war, hope, and even the New World Order.

In March 2019 the airport unveiled an animated, talking gargoyle in the middle of one of the concourses. The gargoyle interacts with passengers and jokes about the supposed conspiracies connected to the airport. ^[31]

The Blue Mustang , by El Paso-born artist Luis Jiménez, was one of the earliest public art commissions for Denver International Airport in 1993. The 32-foot-tall (9.8 m)Blue Mustang is a bright blue cast-fiberglass sculpture of a horse with glowing red eyes located between the inbound and outbound lanes of Peña Boulevard. ^[32] Jiménez was killed in 2006 at age 65 while creating the sculpture when the head fell on him and severed an artery in his leg. At the time of his death, Jiménez had completed painting the head of the mustang. Blue Mustang was completed by others, and unveiled at the airport on February 11, 2008. ^[33] The statue has been the subject of considerable controversy, and has acquired the nickname Blucifer for its demonic appearance. ^{[34] [35]} The sculpture has been defended and disparaged by many people; one incident involved the vandalizing of the sculpture's hooves with orange paint.

Ground transportation

The Regional Transportation District (RTD) operates three bus routes under the frequent airport express bus service called skyRide, as well as one Express bus route and one Limited bus route, between DIA and various locations throughout the Denver-Aurora and Boulder metropolitan areas. RTD also operates the University of Colorado A Line, a commuter rail line that runs between the airport and Denver Union Station in downtown Denver.

Scheduled bus service is also available to points such as Fort Collins, and van services stretch into Nebraska, Wyoming, and Colorado summer and ski resort areas. Amtrak offers a Fly-Rail plan for ticketing with United Airlines for trips into scenic areas in the Western U.S. via a Denver stopover.

The Regional Transportation District's airport rail link is an electric commuter rail line that runs from Denver Union Station to the DIA Hotel and Transit Center. The A Line, sometimes called the East Rail Line, and under a sponsorship agreement called "University of Colorado A Line", connects passengers between downtown Denver and Denver International Airport in about 37 minutes. The line connects to RTD's rail service that runs throughout the metro area. The A Line is a 22.8-mile commuter rail transit corridor connecting these two important areas while serving adjacent employment centers, neighborhoods and development areas in Denver and Aurora. The A Line was constructed and funded as part of the Eagle P3 public-private partnership and opened for service on April 22, 2016. Above the station is a 519-room Westin hotel and conference center that opened in November 2015. ^[36]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations	Refs
Aeroméxico	Mexico City	[37]
Air Canada	Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson	[38]
Air Canada Express	Vancouver	[38]
Air France	Seasonal: Paris–Charles de Gaulle (begins July 2, 2021) [39]	[40]
Alaska Airlines	Portland (OR), Seattle/Tacoma Seasonal: Anchorage (begins June 17, 2021) [41]	[42]
Allegiant Air	Cincinnati Seasonal: Asheville, Knoxville, Peoria, Provo	[43]
American Airlines	Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York–LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Phoenix–Sky Harbor	[44]
American Eagle	Los Angeles	[44]
Boutique Air	Chadron (ends June 20, 2021), [45] Cortez, McCook	[46]
British Airways	London–Heathrow	[47]
Cayman Airways	Seasonal: Grand Cayman	[48]
Copa Airlines	Panama City–Tocumen	[49]
Delta Air Lines	Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia, Salt Lake City, Seattle/Tacoma	[50]
Delta Connection	Los Angeles, Seattle/Tacoma
Denver Air Connection	Alliance, Clovis (NM), Pierre (begins July 1, 2021), [51] Telluride (CO), Watertown (SD) (begins July 1, 2021) [52]	[53]
Edelweiss Air	Seasonal: Zürich	[54]
Frontier Airlines	Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Billings, Buffalo, Burbank (begins July 15, 2021), Calgary, Cancún, Cozumel, Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus–Glenn, Dallas/Fort Worth, Des Moines, El Paso, Fayetteville/Bentonville, Greenville/Spartanburg, Harlingen, Houston–Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Los Angeles (ends October 1, 2021), Louisville, Madison, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, Newark, New Orleans, Norfolk, Oakland, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Ontario, Orange County, Orlando, Pensacola, Philadelphia, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Portland (OR), Raleigh/Durham, Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), Seattle/Tacoma, Tampa, Tucson, Washington–Dulles, Washington–National, Wichita Seasonal: Albany, Anchorage, Baltimore, Bismarck, Bloomington/Normal, Boise, Boston, Bozeman, Branson, Burlington (VT), Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Charleston (SC), Detroit, Durango (CO), Fargo, Fort Myers, Fresno, Grand Junction, [55] Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Hartford, Huntsville, Jackson (MS), Jackson Hole, Jacksonville (FL), Kalispell (begins June 17, 2021), [55] Lafayette (LA), Missoula, Myrtle Beach, New York–LaGuardia, Palm Springs, Portland (ME), Puerto Vallarta, Santa Barbara, Savannah, Sioux Falls, Spokane, Syracuse, Tulsa	[56]
Icelandair	Reykjavík–Keflavík	[57]
JetBlue	Boston, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia (begins July 1, 2021) [58]	[59]
Lufthansa	Frankfurt, Munich	[60]
Southern Airways Express	Chadron (begins June 21, 2021) [61]	[62]
Southwest Airlines	Albany, Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham (AL), Boise, Boston, Bozeman, Buffalo, Burbank, Cancún, Charlotte, Chicago–Midway, Chicago–O'Hare, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbus–Glenn, Dallas–Love, Des Moines, Detroit, El Paso, Fort Lauderdale, Fresno, Grand Rapids, Hartford, Hayden/Steamboat Springs, Houston–Hobby, Houston–Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Jacksonville (FL), Kansas City, Las Vegas, Liberia (CR) (begins November 13, 2021), [63] Little Rock, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Louisville, Lubbock, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montrose, Nashville, New Orleans, New York–LaGuardia, Oakland, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Ontario, Orange County (CA), Orlando, Palm Springs, Panama City (FL), Philadelphia, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Pittsburgh, Portland (OR), Puerto Vallarta, Raleigh/Durham, Reno/Tahoe, Richmond, Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), San José del Cabo, Santa Barbara, Savannah, Seattle/Tacoma, Spokane, Tampa, Tucson, Tulsa, Washington–Dulles, Wichita Seasonal: Belize City (resumes November 20, 2021), [63] Charleston (SC), Fort Myers, Midland/Odessa, Norfolk, Pensacola, Sarasota	[64]
Spirit Airlines	Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago–O'Hare, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston–Intercontinental, Las Vegas, Miami (begins November 17, 2021) [65] Seasonal: Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul	[66]
Sun Country Airlines	Minneapolis/St. Paul	[67]
United Airlines	Albuquerque, Anchorage, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Billings, Boise, Boston, Bozeman, Burbank, Calgary, Cancún, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Chicago–O'Hare, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbus–Glenn, Dallas/Fort Worth, Des Moines, Detroit, Eugene, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Frankfurt, Fresno, Grand Rapids, Hartford, Honolulu, Houston–Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Jacksonville (FL), Kahului, Kailua–Kona, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Lihue, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Madison, Medford, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Missoula, Nashville, Newark, New Orleans, New York–LaGuardia, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Ontario, Orange County, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Pittsburgh, Portland (OR), Puerto Vallarta, Raleigh/Durham, Reno/Tahoe, Richmond, Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), San José del Cabo, Santa Barbara, Seattle/Tacoma, Sioux Falls, Spokane, Tampa, Tokyo–Narita, Toronto–Pearson, Tulsa, Vancouver, Washington–Dulles, Washington–National, Wichita Seasonal: Belize City, Burlington (VT), Charlotte, Cozumel, Fairbanks, Jackson Hole, Kalispell, Liberia (CR), Miami, Nassau, Palm Springs, Portland (ME), San Jose (CR), Sarasota, Tucson	[68]
United Express	Alamosa, Albuquerque, Amarillo, Appleton, Aspen, Atlanta, Austin, Bakersfield, Billings, Birmingham (AL), Bismarck, Boise, Bozeman, Burbank, Calgary, Casper, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Charleston (SC), Charlotte, Cheyenne, Cody, Colorado Springs, Columbia (MO), Dallas/Fort Worth, Dayton, Des Moines, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Dodge City, Durango (CO), Eagle/Vail, Edmonton, El Paso, Eugene, Eureka, Everett, Fargo, Fayetteville/Bentonville, Flagstaff, Fresno, Gillette, Grand Junction, Grand Rapids, Great Falls, Greenville/Spartanburg, Gunnison/Crested Butte, Hayden/Steamboat Springs, Hays, Helena, Hobbs, Huntsville, Idaho Falls, Indianapolis, Jackson Hole, Jamestown (ND), Joplin, Kalispell, Kansas City, Kearney, Laramie, Liberal, Lincoln, Little Rock, Louisville, Lubbock, Madison, Medford, Memphis, Midland/Odessa, Minot, Missoula, Moab, Monterey, Moline/Quad Cities, Montrose, Nashville, New Orleans, North Platte, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Palm Springs, Pierre [69] , Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Prescott, Pueblo, Rapid City, Redmond/Bend, Reno/Tahoe, Rochester (MN), Richmond, Riverton, Rock Springs, Sacramento, St. George (UT), St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Salina, San Antonio, San Diego, San Jose (CA), San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Fe, Santa Maria (CA), Santa Rosa (resumes September 8, 2021), Savannah, Scottsbluff, Sheridan (WY), Shreveport, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Spokane, Springfield/Branson, Syracuse, Toronto–Pearson, Tri-Cities (WA), Tucson, Tulsa, Twin Falls, Vernal, Watertown (SD), Wichita, Williston (ND), Winnipeg Seasonal: Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Mammoth Lakes, Norfolk, North Bend/Coos Bay, Panama City (FL), Pensacola, Sun Valley, Traverse City, West Yellowstone	[68]
Volaris	Chihuahua, Guadalajara, Mexico City	[70]
WestJet	Calgary	[71]

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
AirNet Express	Columbus–Rickenbacker
Amazon Air	Cincinnati, Ontario
Bemidji Airlines	Colby, Goodland, McCook, North Platte, Sidney, Trinidad
DHL Aviation	Cincinnati, Reno/Tahoe
FedEx Express	Billings, Fort Worth/Alliance, Fresno, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Memphis, Oakland, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, San Jose Seasonal: Houston– Intercontinental
IAG Cargo	London–Heathrow
Lufthansa Cargo	Frankfurt, Munich
UPS Airlines	Billings, Burbank, Chicago/Rockford, Everett, Louisville, Ontario, Reno/Tahoe, Salt Lake City, Seattle–Boeing Seasonal: Hartford

Statistics

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from DEN (March 2020 – February 2021) ^[72]

Rank	City	Passengers	Carriers
1	Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Arizona	569,000	American, Frontier, Southwest, United
2	Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas	478,000	American, Frontier, United
3	Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois	455,000	American, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, United
4	Los Angeles, California	444,000	American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, United
5	Las Vegas, Nevada	436,000	Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, United
6	Houston–Intercontinental, Texas	418,000	Frontier, Spirit, United
7	Atlanta, Georgia	401,000	Delta, Frontier, Southwest, United
8	Seattle/Tacoma, Washington	354,000	Alaska, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, United
9	Salt Lake City, Utah	350,000	Delta, Frontier, Southwest, United
10	Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota	330,000	Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, Sun Country, United

Busiest international routes to and from DEN (Jan. 2018 – Dec. 2018) ^[73]

Rank	Airport	2018 Passengers	Carriers
1	Cancún, Mexico	424,635	Frontier, Southwest, United
2	London–Heathrow, United Kingdom	275,554	British Airways, United
3	Calgary, Canada	251,585	Frontier, United, WestJet
4	Frankfurt, Germany	244,111	Lufthansa, United
5	Toronto–Pearson, Canada	244,059	Air Canada, United
6	Vancouver, Canada	241,300	Air Canada, United
7	Munich, Germany	163,900	Lufthansa
8	Puerto Vallarta, Mexico	163,755	Frontier, Southwest, United
9	San José del Cabo, Mexico	162,670	Frontier, Southwest, United
10	Tokyo–Narita, Japan	137,092	United

Annual traffic

See source Wikidata query and sources.

Annual passenger traffic at DEN, 1995–present ^{[74] [75]}

Year	Passengers	Year	Passengers	Year	Passengers
1995	31,067,498 (a)	2005	43,387,369	2015	54,014,502
1996	32,296,174	2006	47,326,506	2016	58,266,515
1997	34,969,837	2007	49,863,352	2017	61,379,396
1998	36,831,400	2008	51,245,334	2018	64,494,613
1999	38,034,017	2009	50,167,485	2019	69,015,703
2000	38,751,687	2010	51,985,038	2020	33,741,129
2001	36,092,806	2011	52,849,132
2002	35,652,084	2012	53,156,278
2003	37,505,267	2013	52,556,359
2004	42,275,913	2014	53,472,514

(a) Passenger totals for first two months of 1995 reflect operations at Stapleton International Airport.

Airline market share

Largest Airlines at DEN
(September 2019 - August 2020) ^[76]

Rank	Airline	Passengers	Share
1	Southwest Airlines	12,513,000	30.15%
2	United Airlines	12,257,000	29.54%
3	Frontier Airlines	5,534,355	13.33%
4	SkyWest Airlines	3,683,000	8.88%
5	Delta Air Lines	2,055,000	4.95%
6	Other	5,456,000	13.15%

Accidents and incidents

• On September 5, 2001, a British Airways Boeing 777 caught on fire while it was being refueled at the gate. None of the deplaning passengers or crew were injured, but the refueler servicing the aircraft died from his injuries six days after the fire. The NTSB found that the accident occurred due to a failure of the aircraft's refueling ring when the fuel hose was disconnected at an improper angle. ^[77]
• On February 16, 2007, 14 aircraft suffered windshield failures within a three-and-a-half-hour period at the airport. A total of 26 windshields on these aircraft failed. The NTSB opened an investigation, determining that foreign object damage was the cause, possibly the sharp sand used earlier that winter for traction purposes combined with wind gusts of 48 mph (77 km/h). ^[78]

• 

  The wreckage of Continental Airlines Flight 1404

  On December 20, 2008, a Continental Airlines Boeing 737-500 operating as Flight 1404 to Houston–Intercontinental Airport veered off the left side of runway 34R and caught fire during its takeoff roll at DIA. There was no snow or ice on the runway, however there were 31-knot (36 mph; 57 km/h) crosswinds at the time of the accident. On July 13, 2010, the NTSB published that the probable cause of this accident was the captain's cessation of right rudder input, which was needed to maintain directional control of the airplane. Of the 115 people on board, at least 38 sustained injuries, at least two critically. ^{[79] [80] [81]}
• On April 12, 2011, a 22-year-old woman was raped in the airport near a gate by a man she met there after both missed their flights. The crime was halted by two Frontier Airlines mechanics who saw what was happening. Ex-Marine Noel Bertrand was convicted of sexual assault with force and received a life sentence with no parole for six years. His lawyer indicated Bertrand would likely remain in prison for the rest of his life as he would not confess and therefore could not attend therapy. ^[82]
• On April 3, 2012, an ExpressJet Embraer ERJ-145, registration N15973, operating as Flight UA/EV-5912 from Peoria, IL to Denver, was landing on 34R when the aircraft hit the approach lights and stopped on the runway. Smoke developed inside the aircraft and passengers were evacuated onto the runway. One passenger was taken to hospital for treatment of his injuries. ^[83]
• On February 20, 2021, United Airlines Flight 328, a Boeing 777-200 that was on its way from Denver to Honolulu, Hawaii, suffered engine damage just after takeoff and had to return to Denver International Airport. Debris from the damaged engine fell on a neighborhood in Broomfield, a city near the airport. The damaged airplane landed safely on runway 26 and no injuries were reported. ^[84]

See also

• Colorado portal
• Aviation portal

• Busiest airports in the United States by international passenger traffic
• Busiest airports in the United States by total passenger boardings
• List of airports in the Denver area
• List of the busiest airports in the United States
• List of longest runways
• Megaprojects and Risk: An Anatomy of Ambition
• World's busiest airports by passenger traffic
• World's busiest airports by traffic movements
• World's busiest airports by cargo traffic
• World's busiest airports by international passenger traffic

References

1. 2013 Economic Impact Study for Colorado Airports (PDF) (Report). Colorado Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
2. "Passenger Traffic Reports". Denver International Airport. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
3. FAA Airport Form 5010 for DEN PDF
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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Denver International Airport .

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Denver International Airport .

• Denver International Airport, official site
  • Denver International Airport at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
• FAA Airport Diagram  (PDF), effective May 20, 2021

• Resources for this airport:
  • AirNav airport information for KDEN
  • ASN accident history for DEN
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for KDEN
  • FAA current DEN delay information