DENVER-
Denver International Airport regained the 10th spot among the world’s busiest in the world after handling a record 47.33 million passengers in 2006, DIA officials said Tuesday.
The record is a 9.1 percent increase over 2005. Only Beijing and Jakarta airports reported larger increases, according to DIA’s analysis of Airports Council International figures and individual airport Web sites.
DIA regained its No. 5 national ranking after being bumped by Las Vegas in 2005, when DIA ranked sixth in the country and 11th in the world.
Airport spokesman Steve Snyder said Southwest Airlines entering the Denver market, as well as significant market gains by Frontier and United airlines, drove the passenger increase.
“It’s made for a very competitive market and passengers are the winners of that competition,” Snyder said.
