As more passengers than ever use Denver International Airport, major projects down the pike include a hotel adjoining the terminal, faster people-mover trains and potential concourse expansions.
DIA expects to issue within weeks a request for proposals for a hotel with up to 500 rooms. A Westin hotel at the airport was planned a decade ago, but the project was shelved in early 2003.
Separately, DIA is reducing the time it takes to take the train to concourses through improved software, said DIA manager Turner West. The airport is also adding more train cars to increase capacity, West said.
The announcements came Wed nesday at a DIA Partnership luncheon in Denver.
DIA also may consider accommodating a new regional-jet facility on Concourse A for Frontier Airlines as the Denver-based carrier expands, West said. The airline has ordered 10 new Q400 turboprop planes and plans to expand its fleet of 70-seat regional jets to as many as 20 aircraft.
“Certainly, we’re going to need some space for that to work,” although nothing formal is planned at this point, said Frontier Airlines spokesman Joe Hodas.
DIA already is developing plans to add eight gates on Concourse C, where Southwest Airlines began operating this year when it began flying out of Denver. The airline has expanded to 32 daily departures out of Denver.
“We plan to grow in Denver. We’ve had tremendous success there in the past year, and, certainly, we’re going to need more gates,” said Southwest spokeswoman Paula Berg.
The plans for growth come as DIA leaders hope the airport reclaims its place as the fifth-busiest in the nation this year by beating out Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport.
DIA expects up to 48 million passengers this year.
In anticipation of further growth, DIA officials are planning a meeting with community leaders in December to update the airport’s master plan.
DIA also is drilling more oil and gas wells, and West expects annual revenue from them to grow from $3 million in 2005 to as much as $8 million by the end of 2007.
Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi can be reached at 303-954-1488 or kyamanouchi@denverpost.com.
