Denver International Airport set a new record for most travelers in a calendar year in 2023, soaring well past the 70 million-passenger mark for the first time in the airport's history.
The Denver airport on Wednesday announced it served 77,837,917 passengers last year, a 12.3% increase over the 69,286,461 passengers it served in 2022, which had been the airport's previous record high.
The news comes at a time of significant expansion in the airport's operations, with DIA adding more airlines and flights amid major infrastructure upgrades to process more passengers at security checkpoints. One upgrade, for example, is estimated to increase security checkpoint capacity by 33%.
“2023 was a year of extraordinary growth for DEN and I am proud of the airport team for the ways that we have adjusted our strategies, invested in new technologies and worked to meet the moment while also continuing to prepare for the future,” CEO Phil Washington said in a news release.
DIA officials said every single month in 2023 set a passenger volume record. And the entire year saw the airport's five busiest months ever.
July now holds the distinction as DIA's busiest month ever with more than seven million passengers.
October and August, meanwhile, are now second and third busiest all-time, respectively, also finishing with more than seven million passengers. September and June are ranked No. 4 and No. 5 on the airport's all-time traffic volume list.
"It is incumbent upon us to ensure the airport’s infrastructure can continue to accommodate the growth we expect," Washington said. "And that’s why our Vision 100 strategic plan is focused on preparing the airport to serve 100 million annual passengers and serves as a blueprint to align DEN’s decision-making and accountability."
The Denver airport also set a record for the most international travelers it has accommodated in a single year, surpassing the four million mark for the first time ever. The record was a 21.5% increase over 2022.
DIA has significantly grown since its opening in 1995. Today, the airport, which generates about $36.4 billion a year for Colorado's economy, is among the busiest airports in the U.S. and the world.
The airport currently serves more than 200 nonstop destinations, and its expansion plans aren't over yet. Just this January, Viva Aerobus became the 23rd airline to operate at DIA. The airport anticipates 100 million passengers each year as early as 2027.
The fact that delays and cancellations at DIA reverberate around the globe underscores its significance in local and international travel.
United and Southwest were responsible for flying most of those passengers in and out of Denver International Airport in 2023. The airport said United served more than 36 million passengers — 46.8% of all travelers — and Southwest had more than 24 million passengers, 30.9% of the market share.
Frontier, Denver's third largest carrier, served more than 7.5 million passengers in 2023, which accounted for 9.6% of the airport's overall number. It was the highest mark for Frontier since 2019, the airport said.
Denver's top three carriers accounted for 87.3% of all passengers to visit DEN in 2023.
Final airport comparison numbers for 2023 aren't available yet, but through 10 months, DIA ranked as the third busiest airport in the U.S. and fifth busiest in the world, airport officials said. Worldwide passenger stats are compiled by Airports Council International.
Airport upgrades are underway, starting with a new security checkpoint set to open next week.
Travelers can expect faster security lines when the new west Transportation Security Administration checkpoint opens on Feb. 6.
Almost three years since construction workers broke ground, the screening area — replete with the latest technological advancements — is ready to usher in millions of Colorado flyers a year.
This is the first time that DIA has “been able to design a new checkpoint with the technologies that are available," TSA spokesperson Lorie Danker said at a press preview event last month.
"So, TSA worked very closely with the airport design team to make sure that this environment could result in the most efficient screening experience for travelers," Danker said.
As part of the airport's Great Hall Program, the new checkpoint aims to decrease TSA checkpoint wait times to meet the rising demand at the airport. The state-of-the-art checkpoint will be fitted with new technologies to "build efficiency," Danker said.
DIA's new west security checkpoint, on the sixth floor of the airport's Jeppesen Terminal, officially opens for all passengers on Feb. 6, following a week-long soft launch that started Tuesday. The 17 new security lines opened for a transitionary period between the north security checkpoint and the west addition.
Denver Gazette reporter Sage Kelley contributed to this report.
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