Denver International Airport has withstood the economic downturn better than most airports, and airline and airport leaders said Thursday they see the Denver market remaining strong.
Ensuring that, however, will take work and planning, according to the group, who addressed an audience of nearly 300 people at the first “State of DIA” presentation at the Grand Hyatt downtown.
“We can’t keep doing what we have been doing,” said Kevin Knight, senior vice president of planning for United Airlines, DIA’s largest carrier.
Sources of new revenue must be created, along with “attractive products” such as economy-plus and mileage accelerators, Knight said.
The current low airfares delight the flying public, “but for airlines, they are not such as a great thing,” said Chris Collins, chief operating officer of Frontier Airlines, which is based in Denver.
“We need to look under every rock for those cost savings,” Collins said, adding he doesn’t see economic recovery happening until the first quarter of next year.
Pete McGlade, vice president of network planning for Southwest Airlines, urged: “Lower costs, lower costs, lower costs.”
Kim Day, DIA’s aviation manager, said the airport can’t rely solely on the airlines, so revenues from other sources, including concessions, parking and ground transportation, must be considered.
Another key element will be expanding into new markets. A new international airline at DIA would have a $100 million annual impact for the region, Day said.
DIA is in the running for direct flights to Tokyo. Joe Blake, president and chief executive of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, said Thursday that he and Sally Covington, DIA’s deputy marketing manager, plan to visit Japan next week to work on the prospect.
Day said she’d also like to bring back Lufthansa’s Denver to Munich service that was discontinued in October after operating since March 2007.
Ann Schrader: 303-954-1967 or aschrader@denverpost.com
