At sweet 16, DIA is still growing

Once upon a time, people thought Denver International Airport would be a flop because it was so far away from the city. But on Feb. 28, 2010, DIA will celebrate 16 years of operation and it’s growing.

Kim Day, director of DIA, told the Boulder Rotary Club Nov. 20 that DIA is preparing a new comprehensive plan. In those 16 years DIA has grown to serve 51.2 million passengers a year, and it was designed to serve 50 million.

Day said DIA’s estimated annual economic impact is $22 billion, probably the single most important economic driver in the state.

BOULDER ROTARY CLUB
5390 Manhattan Circle, Suite 101 Boulder, Colorado, 80303
303-554-7074 Rotary@roycearbour.com
Fax 720-304-3255 www.BoulderRotary.org


NEWS FROM BOULDER ROTARY CLUB
Contact: Sue Deans, 303-579-9580

December 4, 2009


DIA’s original plans predicted expansion, in particular to add runways. Current plans call for a new east-west runway, with up to 20 additional new gates for aircraft.

"By mid-2015 we will have completed the RTD train to DIA and opened a new hotel near the terminal," Day said.

One bottleneck in DIA operations is the train used to move passengers among the concourses and the terminal.

"Our train is at capacity right now, and in planning terminal expansion for additional passengers we needed to consider how we could more efficiently move people," Day said.

DIA plans include expanding the Jeppesen Terminal toward the east and west, allowing additional passengers without increasing loads on the train, and adding capacity with an additional car on each run.

Because of Denver's central location it is a natural hub for air traffic, and a substantial part of service is made up of passengers connecting with other flights. United and Frontier airlines estimate that 50 percent of their passengers are connecting at Denver, while Southwest estimates that 40 percent of its passengers are connectors. This traffic helps provide for many flights to and from Denver that also serve local businesses and residents, and DIA currently serves more than160 destinations nonstop from Denver, Day said..



For more information on Rotary, see www.boulderrotary.org or www.rotary.org.

BOULDER ROTARY CLUB
5390 Manhattan Circle, Suite 101 Boulder, Colorado, 80303
303-554-7074 Rotary@roycearbour.com
Fax 720-304-3255 www.BoulderRotary.org


NEWS FROM BOULDER ROTARY CLUB
Contact: Sue Deans, 303-579-9580