It¶¶Òőap the second time in five months that DIA has campaigned for support to help sustain government employees at the airport during shutdowns.

At the airport, “federal employees are working tirelessly to ensure our airport operates efficiently and safely without getting paid,” DIA chief executive Phil Washington said in a statement. “TSA employees just missed their first paycheck, and as we enter a busy spring break travel period, we want to do what we can to ease the stress of this moment.”

The donations are intended “to help make this moment a little more bearable” for the airport’s federal workers, Washington said.

DIA officials said they’re seeking donated grocery store and gas gift card donations, only in denominations of $10 or $20, ideally from stores like King Soopers, Safeway, Walmart, Costco, and Target that sell both gas and food. Visa gift cards cannot be accepted.

DONATIONS NEEDED Support the dedicated TSA employees working without pay by donating $10 and $20 grocery store and gas gift cards. Visa gift cards cannot be accepted.

Drop off locations can be found at Final Approach cell phone lot and in the Jeppesen Terminal.

— Denver Int'l Airport (@DENAirport)

Collection bins and secure lock boxes have been set up in DIA’s Great Hall in the main passenger terminal and at the “final approach” cell phone lot outside the airport. Airport officials said the campaign will continue until the shutdown ends.

In November, DIA officials to allow the use of airport revenues to support FAA air traffic controllers, TSA screeners, Customs and Border Protection agents, and others among the 1,800 federal workers ordered to work without pay during a 43-day shutdown. The FAA had ordered flight reductions. DIA officials planned to seek reimbursement from the federal government later. That shutdown ended before airport officials tried to use aviation revenues for this purpose.

The latest shutdown began on Feb. 14 and affects the Department of Homeland Security, due to a political battle over restrictions on immigration operations following Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations that killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

TSA passenger screening operations suffered last weekend at airports in Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans, where thousands of travelers waited in lines for up to three hours. DIA travelers so far have been spared major disruptions, with on Thursday morning mostly under 22 minutes. But airport officials are bracing for a spring break surge with more than 1.3 million travelers moving through security checkpoints.

On Wednesday, senators — both Republicans and Democrats — vented frustrations with a lack of progress in funding the DHS. The impact on Americans enduring long lines at some airports is expected to intensify as the impasse enters its fourth week.

DIA’s total increased to 200 from 197 after United Airlines, the largest carrier, added three new routes this month. Denver’s airport of Chicago/O’Hare and Dallas-Ft. Worth, the closest competitors for domestic nonstops, DIA officials said.

While primarily domestic, DIA also offers nonstop flights to 34 international destinations in 19 countries, for a total of 234 destinations. Airport officials say they are exploring additional nonstop routes to Europe — Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Madrid — as well as routes to Asia and South America.

“In five years, we could be at 250 destinations,” DIA’s chief executive Phil Washington said in an interview.

Meanwhile, DIA officials received one go-ahead from the Denver city council for an expansion project on Concourse C, and they’ll seek approval by early summer for another expansion to boost overall capacity by adding up to 61 gates.

Even though growth in the overall number of travelers DIA handles has flattened in recent years, there’s no reason to hold off on expansion, Washington said.

“That tapering off is temporary. When all this is built out — it’s going to be four years from now — we’re going to see an increase,” Washington said. “We’re all in.  Our forecast still shows 100 million travelers in the next few years, and 120 million by 2045. Construction is not going to be any cheaper anytime soon. So we are pushing ahead.”

The number of travelers at DIA increased slightly to a record high of 82.4 million in 2025, based on preliminary airport data. The number of international travelers, about 6% of the total, increased by 5.4%, the data show.

DIA has seen an overall increase by 19.3% since 2019. The number of international travelers increased by more than 46% during that period, airport officials said. DIA opened in 1995, built to handle a maximum of 50 million travellers. It currently ranks fourth-busiest in the United States and ninth-busiest in the world, airport officials said, citing an October 2025 from the Airports Council International.

United Airlines, the largest carrier at DIA, recorded 20.7 million passengers at DIA, its largest hub, up from 19.5 million in 2024, airline spokesman Russell Carlton said. United officials announced the following new routes and start dates:

–  Albany, N.Y. (April 30) – year-round daily service on Boeing 737-800s

– Chattanooga, Tenn. (May 23) – seasonal on Saturdays through Aug. 8 on Embraer E175s

– Bangor, Maine (June 27) – seasonal on Saturdays through Sept. 5) on Boeing 737-800s

On Jan. 5, Denver’s city council approved a $70 million contract with V-1 Consulting to oversee a 400,000 square feet expansion of the C Concourse to , giving the airport enough capacity overall to handle 100 million travellers a year. Design and construction contracts haven’t been completed. DIA officials said they’ll line up a contractor in 2027 and that travelers will see “very minimal impacts” compared with the Great Hall terminal overhaul in progress because will be done at the far west end of the concourse behind walls.

There’s a waiting list of airlines seeking access to those gates, Washington said. “That tells us their growth forecasts are similar to ours.”

The , if approved, would bring two new concourses with space for a total of 50 gates, increasing DIA’s total gates to 237, he said, adding that the first six gates would be for international flights.

But DIA officials just implemented a mandatory targeting the noises they can control — a push to contain the often-overwhelming cacophony of modern air travel and give people peace and tranquility.

They have reprogrammed 200 microphone stations in concourses, installed noise sensors in loudspeakers, and instructed airlines to find alternatives to concourse-wide broadcasts, such as smartphone text messages and digital signs. Public address announcements that must be made “should be kept as brief and clear as possible.” Airlines are encouraged to text or call passengers privately when left-behind items are located, and a “final boarding call” at DIA is taken to be final.

Noise reduction is part of creating “a calmer and more peaceful” airport, not quite a library but a place where brain-addling aspects are replaced with “ambiance,” DIA chief executive Phil Washington said. “We are creating a destination for people.”

A growing body of establishes the role of loud noise in triggering physical and psychological distress, similar to light pollution, which can intensify travel anxiety. DIA officials say they see overwhelmed travelers break down or become irritable due to stress. There are no legally enforceable decibel limits for noise inside airports, despite the 52-year-old that identified rising noise as a major public health hazard.

Denver launched its quiet airport campaign in July, building on efforts in San Francisco and airports abroad in and , following years of high-decibel construction for a $2.1 billion expansion of DIA to be able to handle 120 million travelers a year. DIA has emerged as one of the world’s biggest and busiest air travel hubs with nonstop flights reaching as far as Istanbul, Rome, and Tokyo.

The effort to reduce airport noise “is very commendable,” said health scientist Jamie Banks, president of , a national nonprofit that fights harmful noise and promotes quietness as a valuable natural resource.

“When you move from a noisy to a quiet environment,” Banks said, “you can almost feel the stress melting away.”

Ambiance overhaul

First, airport maintenance crews reset the 200 microphone stations in DIA’s three concourses. Airline agents wielding microphones previously could make announcements reaching up to 70 gates at once. The modified mics reach just one gate and the immediately adjacent area.

Then, the crews installed sensors on loudspeakers to measure overall ambient noise. DIA hired an audio control contractor to record announcements. A mapping system allows analysis of frequency and duration gate by gate.

Over the next two years, DIA customer experience and operations crews plan to hunt for problematic noises — roaring heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems (HVAC), beeping carts carrying travelers who can’t walk, rattling escalators, squeaky moving sidewalks, shops and restaurants that project “yacht music” into concourses, and bathroom hand dryers that exceed the decibel levels of a gas-powered leaf blower.

“We want to address, as best as we can, all of the little noises,” said Kyle Lester, DIA’s senior vice president for maintenance.

But eliminating any source is a challenge, Lester said. For example, sustainability advocates favor those hand dryers to reduce the use of paper towels.

Once they’ve delivered tranquility, DIA officials plan to carefully incorporate music. Washington suggested jazz. Experimental last summer on DIA’s 82,000 square-foot open-air south plaza, looking out toward Pikes Peak, proved popular. DIA officials also plan to address light pollution, though ground crews have raised concerns. Ultimately, travelers may be able to glimpse stars  the way they do in Wyoming at the

“With our space out here, 53 square miles,” Washington said, “we can probably see more stars than at any other airport in the world.”

Some noise must stay

However, some of the loudest noises must stay, such as the pre-recorded warnings about unattended . TSA requires that DIA operators play these at least once every 30 minutes. Denver’s fire code requires broadcasting all emergency, safety, and security announcements at volumes at least 15 decibels louder than the ambient sound. That means noise approaching 100 decibels, to cause ear damage.

The noise order issued Aug. 1 said public address systems may be used “only when absolutely necessary.” In the future, airlines should rely on “signage” or digital displays, instead of public address systems, for routine reminders. Background music, permissible in DIA’s terminal, shops, eating areas, and certain “quiet zones,” must be contained within those areas.

Compliance with the policy is mandatory, DIA’s policy document says, warning that airlines and others producing noise “will be monitored” by DIA “life safety” officials. Maximum penalties for violators have not been set.

United Airlines accepts the new rules, company spokesman Russell Carlton said. United has found that reducing its announcements brought “no real impacts,” Carlton said, noting 20 million United customers have downloaded the company app and that 84% use it when they fly.

“We’re still permitted to make boarding area announcements for our customers. We’ve already thoughtfully reduced the amount of gate area announcements we make, and coupled with real-time updates in the United app, we’re able to keep our customers informed,” he said.

In cases where travelers leave a laptop on a plane, Carlton said, “instead of making an airport-wide announcement for that passenger, we’ll call them on their phone instead.”

Southwest Airlines gate agents, slated to abandon their announcement-heavy open seating boarding process in January, have also signed off. “Southwest is supportive of the program and is participating in the rollout at Concourse C,” company spokeswoman Laura Swift said.

At DIA, “all airlines are on board,” DIA spokeswoman Keylen Villagrana said.

Air travel became ‘an extra stressful event’

Noise levels have become a concern at airports nationwide over the past decade, in part due to the development of airports as “destinations” for shopping, dining, and hanging out in addition to the primary purpose of air transportation. As noise levels increased, airport officials received complaints and increasingly observed instances of travel anxiety and stress overwhelming travelers, including adults and children who struggle when stuck in busy areas buffeted by too much information, bright light, and loud noise.

“We see it all the time. They come into the airport, and it is an extra stressful event for them. They hear announcements, and it just makes them confused. They stop. They say: ‘I don’t know where to go,’ ” said David Matos, DIA’s director of maintenance administration and an architect of the noise reduction campaign. “Between all the signage and the way-finding and the noise, a lot of folks get stressed out. They act out at the ticket counters. They push on the trains.”

San Francisco International Airport officials pioneered noise reduction, taking advantage of a pandemic lull. Airport director Mike Nakornkhet, who has worked at DIA, helped lead efforts that officials say has reduced unnecessary noise by 40% and eliminated 90 minutes of announcements per day. The changes in San Francisco included the prohibition of boarding announcements in the pre-security parts of the airport.

“We hope that travelers will find something that was previously harder to come by in our terminals: a little peace and quiet,” Nakornkhet said in a public letter.

Chasing calmness

At DIA, reducing noise is part of a broader transformation. Travelers increasingly want to be able to work, and DIA officials say they’re prioritizing the installation of more work tables and charging ports — creating spaces that can be calm and peaceful.

“It is hard to engage in a work call or a work meeting when you have high background noise,” Lester said. “We want to create that environment of calmness. High noise induces stress and fatigue. We want to create a customer experience of peace, especially during long waits and layovers. Flying is stressful enough. For our customers, more noise just adds to that stressful environment, especially for our neurodivergent customers.”

Last week, travelers reeling from uncertainty as the federal government shutdown ended acknowledged multiple stressors complicating their trips.

Standing by an elevator with his phone to his ear, trying to hear where to meet his ride, Bill Richey, who had just flown from Ohio, plugged a finger into his other ear as an overhead public address announcement boomed down. Overlapping announcements around airport gates are the worst, Richey said. “It stresses you out. It makes you think you’re going to miss something.”

Metro Denver resident Bob Brewster said he would avoid air travel if possible. “I’d rather take the train.” But the cost of options from Colorado typically is too high compared with flying.

DIA announcements at concourses are loud, but the airport has the advantage of carpeting that absorbs noise — superior to other airports such as the one near Philadelphia, Brewster said.

Part of the appeal of travel is hearing a symphony of sounds, some of them pleasant, said Missy Gotelli, who arrived from Sacramento this week and had no complaints as she sat in a baggage claim area where a measured 89 decibels, the equivalent of power tools. “It¶¶Òőap an airport. Suck it up,” Gotelli said.

Yet she saw room for improvement. “What I do enjoy is live music,” she said.

“Jazz would be nice.”

The design of DIA’s signature tented terminal “is an acoustic nightmare,”  and DIA officials will have to overcome that to reduce ambient noise to a comfortable level, said Colleen Cussick, looking up at the roof. She used to work in the recording industry. Any noise in the terminal “is going to reverberate,” Cussick said.

“But compared with other airports, this is incredibly quiet,” she said by the Caribou Coffee cafe on the sixth level.

The overall soundscape at DIA is improving, she said, and the airport is appealing enough that she recently came here simply to meet with a friend during a layover for a meal, assuming they could find decent food, she said.

“It seems to be a little more chill.”

But DIA officials on Wednesday were bracing as the Trump administration ordered a reduction in air traffic at major hubs later this week. They took the unusual step of requesting a waiver from the to allow the use of airport revenues to support air traffic controllers working without pay.

DIA later would seek reimbursement from the federal government once the shutdown is over.

“This is a critical time for travel” and “staffing issues are already being identified at a number of airports,” DIA’s chief executive Phil Washington said in a statement. “As the shutdown drags on, air traffic controllers, in particular, are being stressed unnecessarily. …It is our hope that we can reduce the hardship on them by covering their wages during the shutdown.”

Denver officials made the announcement after the Trump administration ordered a nationwide reduction in air traffic later this week that could affect thousands of flights at major hubs.

On Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA officials announced a 10% reduction in allowable flight capacity starting Friday at 40 “high-volume” airports — a reduction they said would be necessary as federal air traffic controllers and security screeners work without pay.

The cutback stands to impact thousands of flights nationwide because the FAA directs more than 44,000 flights daily, including commercial passenger flights, cargo planes and private aircraft.

The purpose is “to make sure that we keep this airspace as safe as possible,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said at a news conference.

Federal officials were consulting with airlines and preparing a list of airports for release on Thursday.

DIA‘s relatively clear sailing may not last, airport communications director Courtney Law told The Denver Post.

“We know that could change at any point as the shutdown continues,” Law said. “We can’t speculate about the holidays, but we will continue to encourage passengers to arrive at the airport at least two hours prior to their boarding time and to check with their airlines for flight information.”

DIA ranks among the busiest airports in the world with more than 82 million travelers a year and, as a centrally-located hub for United Airlines and others, offers travelers direct connections to more U.S. locations than any other airport.

Denver airport officials said they’ve been “working with the FAA to understand specific impacts” of flight reductions and whether DIA will be one of the 40 airports.

During the shutdown, flights at DIA haven’t been delayed more than usual, airport officials said, though there were notable delays one evening in early October when staffing shortages impacted air traffic control for Denver and two other airports.

Travelers’ wait times for screening by teams working without pay have stayed under 30 minutes, partly due to state-of-the-art new systems installed at DIA this year.

DIA officials also launched a “food and essentials pantry” on Wednesday and appealed to the public for donations to help FAA air traffic controllers, TSA screeners, Customs and Border Protection agents, and others among the 1,800 federal employees who continue to work at the airport without pay due to the federal government shutdown.

Airport officials said non-perishable food, toiletries, baby supplies and pet supplies can be dropped off at the Final Approach cellphone lot building along Peña Boulevard, at 7684 N. Wenatchee St., or at the information booth in the middle of DIA’s main terminal Great Hall on Level 5.

Monetary donations and merchant gift cards also will be accepted — at the Airport Office Building located between the West Security Checkpoint and the A Bridge between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

“As this shutdown continues, just getting to work and covering the everyday expenses of life becomes increasingly challenging for many of the 1,800 federal workers” at DIA, Washington said in his statement. “As an expression of our gratitude and support, we have set up a pantry and are collecting monetary contributions to help make this difficult time a little more bearable for our federal colleagues.”

Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began Oct. 1, and most have been on duty six days a week while putting in mandatory overtime. With some calling out of work due to frustration, taking second jobs or not having money for child care or gas, staffing shortages during some shifts have led to flight delays at a number of U.S. airports.

Southwest Airlines said it was evaluating potential impacts to its flight schedule and would reach out as soon as possible to customers whose travel plans may be impacted.

“We continue to urge Congress to immediately resolve its impasse and restore the National Airspace System to its full capacity,” the carrier said.

The FAA regularly slows down or stops flights from taking off toward an airport due to weather conditions, equipment failures and technical problems. Staffing shortages also may lead to slowed or halted departures if other personnel can’t fill in or another facility can’t absorb some of the workload.

Last weekend saw some of the worst staffing shortages of the shutdown, which became the longest on record early Wednesday.

From Friday to Sunday evening, at least 39 different air traffic control facilities announced there was some potential for limited staffing, according to an Associated Press analysis of operations plans sent through the Air Traffic Control System Command Center system. The figure, which is likely an undercount, is well above the average for weekends before the shutdown

During weekend periods from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, the average number of airport towers, regional centers that oversee multiple airports and facilities that monitor traffic at higher altitudes announced the potential for staffing issues was 8.3, according to the AP analysis.

But during the five weekend periods since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, the average more than tripled to 26.2 facilities.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

DIA officials blamed economic uncertainty and “geopolitics” for a decrease in 2025, compared with 2024, by 0.4%.

But DIA recently snagged first place among U.S. airports for nonstop domestic destinations — travelers can fly to 197 — and continues to set records for international traffic.

This “connectivity”, some analysts say, will be the ultimate measure of the airport’s success.

Denver’s passenger traffic target has become “a stupid goal” for measuring airport value, said Mike Boyd, a Colorado-based aviation industry consultant, because passenger metrics depend largely on whether airlines offer good deals — largely beyond DIA’s control.

“The real issue is how many points you can access from an airport. How many international flights can you access from here?” Boyd said, adding that new nonstop flights from Denver to Morocco, Poland, and Spain would make sense. “The traditional thinking has been that ‘more passengers are better.’  But, in the real world of air transportation, what matters for travelers is access.”

The numbers

DIA’s passenger traffic in 2025 decreased to 54.9 million through the end of August, down from 55.2 million during that period in 2024, airport data show. If the dropoff continues, it’ll mark a turnaround after DIA’s annual total in 2024 hit a record 82.4 million passengers, which was a 5.8% increase over the number in 2023, airport data shows.

Compared with 2019, DIA’s annual traffic increased by 19% from 69 million to 82.4 million — raising hopes for regional economic development as other U.S. airports struggled to pull out of pandemic-driven declines. DIA this year ranked third-busiest in the United States and sixth-busiest in the world behind Atlanta (108 million), Dubai (92.3 million), Dallas/Fort Worth (87.8 million), Tokyo (85.9 million), and London (83.8 million). City leaders have seized on the 100 million target as a beacon for job growth and business investment.

The reversal so far this year coincides with the Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs, the current political rhetoric and other actions that created “uncertainty,” said Laura Jackson, DIA’s vice president for air service development and aviation research. “It really impacted demand, especially in the economy class cabins. People were just uncertain about their incomes and revenue streams, so they were holding back on making purchases,” Jackson said.

Meanwhile, DIA in June became the leading U.S. airport for to U.S. destinations, hitting 197, after airlines added 12 new domestic routes in 2025, according to airport officials. Travelers at DIA’s closest rival airports, Dallas-Ft. Worth and Chicago O’Hare can fly nonstop to 195 U.S. destinations.

International routes

DIA also saw continued growth of nonstop international air traffic, which set records this year and, through August, was up by 6.2% compared with the same period in 2024, airport data show. DIA offers nonstop .

International travelers make up 6% of the overall passenger traffic at DIA. Airlines over the past year added new non-stop flights from Denver to Istanbul, Turkey, Dublin, Ireland, and Rome, Italy — routes where the carriers recorded increasing passenger traffic. DIA officials who negotiate with airlines said they expect to see more new nonstop international options soon for travelers headed to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (starting Oct. 26); Mexico City, and Ireland.

The overall decline in traffic so far this year “does not change our long-term trajectory to reach 100 million passengers.  We are still on track to meet that,” Jackson said. “And we have global ambitions. We have a lot of destinations on our list of where we’d like to see expansion in the next decade or so.”

International travelers likely will account for 10% of passenger traffic, she said. “We’re not setting any limits on what we can achieve.”

$2.1 billion overhaul continues

DIA’s airport refurbishment and expansion projects won’t slow down, officials said. They’re planning to construct a seventh runway on DIA’s 53-square-mile area. Only the King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia spans more land (299 square miles).

The projects have brought where crews can process 240 travelers per hour, up from 140, and a showpiece Great Hall featuring a massive sculptural “cottonwood tree,” improved dining, a meditation room where travelers can seek silence, and lobbies with couches and pads where children can play — part of $2.1 billion overhaul to be able to handle as many as 120 million travelers by 2045. DIA opened in 1995, built to handle a maximum of 50 million travelers.

Yet DIA trails other major airports in passenger satisfaction, according to recent annual . These rank airports based on passenger perceptions of airport staff, food, and ease in moving around.

“We know and understand that our passengers are experiencing construction fatigue, especially amid the construction of the Great Hall,” airport officials said in a statement this week. “The good news is that this passenger-facing construction is nearing an end, at which point we expect our satisfaction scores to rebound because the completion of that project will significantly enhance the passenger experience.”

Getting there from Denver

Looming challenges include traffic jams delaying access to DIA from metro Denver. City officials and developers have taken advantage of Peña Boulevard, the main route to the airport, to facilitate new housing in the surrounding area — worsening jams.

Drive time along the 11 miles of Peña Boulevard from Interstate 70 to DIA has tripled from eight minutes to 24 minutes and unpredictably exceeds half an hour when drivers crash. I-70 often clogs, too, sending DIA-bound drivers, guided by smartphones, on circuitous routes through Denver and Aurora.

Denver’s proposed widening of Peña depends on a federal environmental review.

“This is a priority. We know Peña is the lifeline for the airport. We’re going to do everything we can to accelerate the study,” DIA spokeswoman Stacey Stegman said, adding that expanded rail transit to the airport hasn’t been ruled out.

“We’re definitely feeling the impact of that development along Peña. We have to make sure emergency vehicles can get through and respond to emergencies in those communities. We know it is frustrating for people that the traffic does not move faster.”

At 3 a.m. Tuesday, the East Security Checkpoint will open on the north end of the upper level of DIA’s terminal, with 17 lanes featuring state-of-the-art screening equipment. Mirroring the West checkpoint that opened early last year, the East screening area’s completion brings the final major security shift of the terminal renovation project.

“Denver is already one of the biggest airports in the world,” said Denver Mayor Mike Johnston during a Monday morning media tour of the new screening area. “It is already one of the most beautiful airports in the world. Now, it will be one of the easiest airports in the world. Today is a critical step forward in us making sure that the customer experience of getting through security goes that much faster.”

The checkpoint, which kicks off the completion phase of the airport’s $2.1 billion Great Hall Program, is located on Level 6 in the northeast corner of the terminal, beside Southwest Airlines’ ticketing and check-in areas.

The West Security Checkpoint across the atrium is next to United Airlines’ check-in areas. The new screening lanes are designed to move passengers more quickly in a bid to alleviate sometimes-lengthy wait times in serpentine security lines. According to DIA CEO Phil Washington, the opening of the West checkpoint improved wait times by 19%.

“It¶¶Òőap greatly improved the efficiency of our screening process,” Washington said. “Customer satisfaction survey results have increased.”

With the East checkpoint’s opening this week, the South checkpoint on the lower level will no longer be operational, Washington said. Officials plan to leave the screening equipment in place through Labor Day weekend, in case it’s needed — and the current auxiliary South PreCheck lanes may also open at times as relief, through Sept. 2.

But the main screening will now all happen upstairs, with the East and West checkpoints open the same hours. Both will handle PreCheck and Clear members, too. Only the West checkpoint is available for reservations under .

Starting Tuesday, the A-Bridge walkway between the terminal and Concourse A will officially open once again for both arriving and departing passengers, allowing travelers to make their way to A on foot if they choose — but only after they pass through the East or West checkpoint.

The train is still an option for those who can’t resist the twangy reminder to “Hold on, please.”

Denver International Airport (DEN) held a media tour and ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of the new East Security Checkpoint on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. The checkpoint will not officially open until 3 a.m. on August 5.

— RJ Sangosti (@RJSangosti)

How new checkpoint works

On Monday, Transportation Security Administration agents stood at their posts in the pristine, people-free screening area. They showed off new equipment that they assured would make the lines go faster.

When passengers step forward, facial recognition technology will scan a photo taken on the spot of their faces, matching it with their photo ID — though there’s an option to opt out of that, if preferred. According to the TSA, the photos are deleted after verification.

Then, similar to the West checkpoint, it’s on to large bins to dump bags, backpacks and other belongings. The stations are automated, meaning that flyers won’t need to stand beside their stuff and push it along, or wait for a slower-moving person in front of them to finish. They’ll just push the bin onto a conveyor system, which keeps it moving.

New federal policies mean travelers won’t have to take off their shoes or pull out their laptops, the TSA said.

Any bags or items that require further TSA attention are automatically diverted along the conveyor belt, allowing other travelers’ belongings to keep moving through the screening process without causing a backlog.

Like the West checkpoint, each of the 17 new East lanes features three stations for loading and unloading, greatly increasing the pace at which people move through, Johnston said.

Other security changes on tap

The airport is preparing to accommodate 100 million annual passengers in the next few years, Washington said. By 2045, DIA anticipates surpassing 120 million annual passengers. Last year, DIA was the third-busiest U.S. airport in terms of passenger traffic, and sixth-busiest in the world, .

“This is not only the most important economic driver in Denver — it’s the most important economic driver in the state,” Johnston said. “It¶¶Òőap one of the most important economic drivers between Chicago and California. This is the place that drives revenue for every business in the city and state.”

The improved security checkpoints were designed with a growing number of passengers in mind, Washington said.

The East security construction budget is $252 million, according to DIA spokesperson Michael Konopasek. The checkpoint opened $10 million under budget, he said.

The entire Great Hall Program — a yearslong, $2.1 billion terminal renovation project — is scheduled for completion at the end of 2027. The project, which kicked off in 2018, has withstood delays, a major contractor breakup, and the addition of scope and costs.

Other recent changes include moving some airlines’ check-in counters down to Level 5 temporarily to make room for renovation work on the south ends of Level 6.

The next security hallmark will be the opening of eight new standard security lanes on the north end of Level 5 in summer 2026; they will be geared specifically for international travelers connecting through DIA after they exit customs nearby.

And four screening lanes are planned later for the revamped south end of Level 5 — which will be remade into a space called “the Living Room” — to serve passengers arriving from the airport’s on-site hotel and the A-Line train from the city.

Once the final Great Hall phase of DIA’s $2.1 billion overhaul is finished in 2027, DIA officials said they’ll begin more upgrades — costing roughly $12.8 billion — to handle a projected 120 million travelers a year by . Airport chief executive Phil Washington reminded about 500 attendees at a 30th anniversary luncheon that DIA,  “blessed with 53 square miles of land” will have “room enough” for more than the current six runways. “We have the capacity for 12,” Washington said.

Planning is underway to add a seventh runway before 2035, which would give DIA one of the largest airfields, and an eighth by 2045.

Inside, travelers over the next five years must accommodate an expansion of DIA’s Concourse C, and construction to expand the north side of DIA’s white tent-roofed terminal to hold more gates, new ticketing facilities, security and international baggage claim areas.

DIA’s chief construction and infrastructure officer Jim Starling said the $12.8 billion estimate covers the next 12 years.

“It¶¶Òőap going to be constantly changing,” Denver City Councilman concluded after the luncheon, recalling regular construction that travelers faced at Denver’s old Stapleton Airport.

At the luncheon, attendees looked back at city decisions to replace Stapleton with DIA, which opened in 1995 with a capacity of handling 50 million passengers. Gov. Jared Polis hailed DIA as “a key part of Colorado’s economic success.” It employs more than 40,000 workers.

delivered the keynote address at the celebration, challenging attendees to reflect on how “the rate of change is increasing” and embrace adaptation.

“The key to being future-forward is not to know everything right now and not being ‘caught-up’,” she said. “It is being open and being imaginative and remembering that technology exists to serve people.”

DIA chief executive Phil Washington committed to that date—“we think we can accelerate it more,” he said – during an unveiling of features that include a quiet room suitable for meditation and a “living room” area with couches and pads for children to play on.

All will be located on Level 5 around a massive sculptural “cottonwood tree” lit with reflective crystals, 60 feet tall and 70 feet wide. “This will be the place where people will say: ‘Meet me at the tree,’ ” Washington said.

The Great Hall under DIA’s signature white-tented roof will include a new East Security Station on Level 6 that will open this August and bring the number of security screening lanes from 34 to 46. Each will have the technology that allows Transportation Security Administration crews to process 240 travelers per hour, up from the old rate of 140 an hour.

The Great Hall is the centerpiece for a broader $2.1 billion overhaul of DIA, which opened in 1995 with the capacity of handling 50 million passengers a year. Last year, the airport hit a record 82.3 million travelers and airport officials on Tuesday projected DIA will reach 100 million by 2028 and 120 million by 2045.

Funds for the overhaul come from aeronautical revenues — such as landing gate fees airlines pay — and revenues from concessions and parking.

For more than three years, travelers at DIA have endured constant disruptions that have complicated their trips.

“We’re getting toward the end of it,” Washington said, acknowledging widespread “construction fatigue” and confusion.

After December 2027, travelers “will be saying what a fantastic airport this is. They’ll be saying the cottonwood tree is the best meeting place in the entire country. They’ll be saying what a great job we did making this Colorado-centric,” he said.

The work won’t end after the December 2027 completion date.

DIA officials plan to continue their overhaul by improving the arrival areas for international travelers and adding 11 gates on Concourse C. Beyond that, an extension of the Great Hall main terminal to the north will provide space for up to 50 more airline gates.

A similar concourse expansion at the south end of the terminal will allow for even more gates.

DIA planners also are designing a new, consolidated rental car facility.

“We’re building an airport that is going to last for the next 100 years,” Washington said. “It is arduous work. We’re being very, very diligent in knowing that this is a long game and that we have to do it right.”

When it’s finished in three years, “The Stars and the Cottonwood Tree” will rise 60 feet from the floor at the south end of the Jeppesen Terminal in tandem with the years-long Great Hall Completion Project, according to .

Contractor The Lipski Group Inc. — led by national artist Donald Lipski — will fabricate and install the piece at an estimated cost of $3.6 million.

Made of resin and stainless steel, the piece was inspired by Cottonwood trees, which are endemic to Colorado and the Western plains, according to the

Lipski also pointed to Indigenous American lore from the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes that says stars form in the earth, then come up through the branches of cottonwood trees.

“If you break a branch in half you can see the star shape in the cross-section,” he said via phone Wednesday. “It’s such a beautiful story it does just what I was thinking about — it draws your eyes up to the sky.”

The 70-foot-wide canopy of the tree “will be draped in over 30,000 crystals, creating rainbow prisms of light throughout the terminal. The base of the sculpture will feature Colorado red rock as a seating element, creating a memorable meeting place for passengers.”

While the city council was required to approve the funding, the piece is funded through Denver’s 1% Public Art program. It directs 1% of the budget for “any capital improvement project over $1 million undertaken by the city be set aside for the inclusion of art in the design and construction of the project,” according to , which manages the city’s public art collection.

Lipski, 77, has installed dozens of high-profile public artworks across the U.S. during his career, including Denver. Local installations have included — the horse on the giant chair outside the Denver Public Library — and inside the .

However, “The Stars and the Cottonwood Tree” will easily be one of his largest, most prominent pieces once completed — rivaling other works in New York’s Grand Central Station and in high-traffic public areas in diverse U.S. cities. The potential for the piece to be seen by tens of millions of travelers each year, as well as plans to host cultural performances around the sculpture, excites him.

“I’ve been coming to Denver for years and years and years, and it’s such a beautiful airport,” he said. “When they moved TSA downstairs it really killed me, and the fact that it’s coming back is thrilling, and that I can have a major piece in the (Great Hall).”

DIA’s public art collection also just grew with the high-profile installation of local artist Detour’s stunning “It’s Not What You Take, It’s What You Bring Back,” a rainbow-hued, figure-eight sculpture funded with $450,000 of 1% Public Art money.

Tourists and remote workers visit the Great Hall every day, while ski-train travelers, business execs and hotel guests walk past the grand piano and beneath impressive chandeliers to take advantage of bars and restaurants, morning, noon and night.

Following an $11 million restoration last year, Union Station’s management group is now welcoming people back. Some of the food and drink concepts at 1701 Wynkoop St. have changed in the past few months, and more updates are on the way.

For instance, Stoic & Genuine, one of the depot’s fine-dining anchors for a decade, closed, while Olive & Finch, a much-loved cafe with three other Denver locations, plans a March opening.

“The goal is to have locally owned restaurateurs and operators offering a diverse mix of flavor profiles and price points, from quick grab-and-go snacks to a complete night out on the town,” said John-Mark Larter, director of food and beverage operations for City Street Investors, part of the Union Station Alliance management group.

The Union Station Alliance, which includes City Street, Sage Hospitality and other companies, has also taken a more active approach to the food and beverage offerings.

The menus at City Street’s concepts are now the responsibility of Kevin McCormick, an award-winning pastry chef from Chicago who became Union Station’s culinary director in 2023. His docket consists of Terminal Bar and the second-story Cooper Lounge, as well as Pigtrain Coffee, Milkbox Ice Creamery and Press, a brand new tacos and tortas spot.

This month he’ll open BaumĂ© — a dessert bar specializing in cakes, tarts and champagne — in a stand inside the Great Hall. For McCormick, BaumĂ© was an opportunity to lean on his 16 years of experience as a French baker and Michelin-starred patisserie skills.

“I know a lot of people who are very inspired by the new. I get inspired by people who do the old unbelievably well,” McCormick, 36, said recently from the lobby of the adjacent Crawford Hotel, named for preservationist Dana Crawford, who died in late January.

The stand will sell McCormick’s creations, like gateaux in pistachio, pineapple and mocha varieties ($9), cherry almond tarts ($8) and chocolate mousse cake ($9). For those who sit down to enjoy their treats, BaumĂ© has a menu of champagnes by the glass ranging from $14 to $55.

City Street isn’t the only Union Station Alliance member with an active restaurant role. In the coming months, crews will finish remodeling the wing of the building that is home to Mercantile Dining & Provision. The restaurant’s founder, James Beard award-winning Chef Alex Seidel, sold a majority stake in Mercantile to Sage Hospitality in August. Though Sage hasn’t announced a reopening date, the restaurant is listed as a participant in Denver Restaurant Week, which kicks off in early March.

Other changes on the way include:

will open in March in the space left vacant by Snooze, which moved its breakfast-focused diner to another wing of Union Station.

Pigtrain Coffee will move into a corner space by Amtrak, McCormick said.

And the space left open by Stoic & Genuine sits empty as Union Station’s investors entertain requests from restauranteurs.

On the retail front, two businesses moved into the stands next to Baumé earlier this year: florist and chocolatier .

Patty Denny, the owner of Telluride Truffle, said she had pestered her realtor for months for a vendor space inside Union Station. She had moved her chocolate factory to Lakewood five years earlier and was attracted by its classy allure.

“There’s some great things about Union Station that are beautiful, and they didn’t ruin any of that,” said Denny, 69.

She secured her lease last fall, packed her bags and moved from her company’s titular mountain town to Denver. Now she wants other Coloradans to do the same.

“If you haven’t been down to Union Station in the last few months, go,” she said.