The preliminary Airports Council International rankings also place DIA as the third-busiest in North America for the fourth year, based on DIA’s record passenger traffic last year.

Capacity growth by the largest airlines and increased flight frequencies, combined with new carriers adding service, maintained DIA’s position. Aer Lingus launched flights to Dublin, Ireland, and Turkish Airlines launched flights to Istanbul, Turkey. DIA chief executive Phil Washington cited “continued, thoughtful growth” toward a target of handling 100 million passengers within the next couple of years by expanding global reach.

DIA’s record-breaking 82.3 million passengers traveling through the airport in 2024 represented a 5.8% increase compared with 2023. International passenger traffic at DIA is increasing faster – up 15% above the 2023 level to more than 4.6 million. That’s 46% more than the pre-pandemic international passenger traffic in 2019.

Worldwide, DIA’s passenger traffic placed behind the numbers in Atlanta (108 million), Dubai (92.3 million), Dallas/Fort Worth (87.8 million), Tokyo (85.9 million), and London (83.8 million).

The ACI airport rankings are based on data from 2,700 airports worldwide. DIA had the fourth most aircraft takeoffs and landings among the world’s airports last year, exceeded only by the aircraft movements at Atlanta, Chicago/O’Hare, and Dallas-Ft. Worth.

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Some of them have been waiting years for construction timelines to gradually unfold.

Related: Four more local restaurants land at Denver International Airport

The Bagel Deli

Family-owned for three generations, the Bagel Deli — which operates its five-decade-old diner on East Hampden Avenue — is now open in the Concourse A Marketplace, serving “fresh bagels, stacked sandwiches, and authentic deli fare — perfect for a quick, satisfying meal before your flight or to take on the plane,” restaurant reps said.

The Bindery

Originally slated to open in early 2023, The Bindery will be serving its popular dishes — soups, salads, fish and more — near gates 24 and 26 in Concourse A. A spokesperson for the airport said it is now on track to open in May. (Its liquor license permit is currently pending with Denver’s excise and license department, which is a good sign.)

Cholon Modern Bistro

This popular Asian fusion concept from chef Lon Symensma opened in mid-December in Concourse C near Gate 62. The menu features “signature dishes inspired by Southeast Asia and Western Europe … from savory dim sum offerings to wok-fried creations,” DIA representatives said.

D Bar

Keegan Gerhard was one of Denver’s first star chefs, and although his cafe in Denver’s Uptown neighborhood has closed, he still runs a location in Central Park, specializing in desserts and other sweet treats. This weekend, D Bar’s newest location is scheduled to open near Gate A38 at DIA.

Finch on the Fly

An offshoot of longtime Denver cafe, Olive & Finch, this grab-and-go kiosk opened for business on Jan. 29 in Concourse A, serving “high-quality, healthy and affordable fare” from chef Mary Nguyen. Olive & Finch is in the midst of a big expansion that includes two new locations downtown.

Marczyk Fine Foods

This specialty neighborhood market with two locations in Denver has now expanded into DIA, where it sells a section of grab-and-go items; a curated menu of fresh-made, locally sourced sandwiches; salads and snacks. There is also a full wine and beer bar. Located near Gate C62.

Maria Empanada

Lorena Cantarovici opened her newest Denver restaurant earlier this year on E. Colfax Avenue, and she’ll add an airport version of Maria Empanada in May, according to a DIA. Located in Concourse A, near Gate 24, it will serve several versions of the South American specialty.

Osteria Marco

When it opens, possibly as soon as June, Osteria Marco will be the second airport restaurant operation for Denver chef and restaurateur Frank Bonanno. The other is Salt & Grinder, which no longer has a storefront in the city — Bonanno recently replaced it with a new concept called Dumplin’ — but lives on at DIA. Osteria Marco is known for fresh pasta and pizza and will be on the upstairs mezzanine on the B Concourse, near the escalator to the trains.

Teatulia Tea & Coffee Bar

Located in the River North Art District, Teatulia sources its organic teas directly from its garden in Bangladesh. At the airport, “Teatulia will feature its signature tea and coffee lattes, iced teas and wellness blends,” the company said. Look for it near Gate 62 in the C Concourse.

Tocabe

Tocabe, one of the only restaurants in Denver specializing in Native American cuisine, opened for business in DIA’s Terminal A on April 7.

Uncle

Uncle helped put Denver ramen on the map, and now that map will extend into DIA’s flight path as Tommy Lee’s restaurant is slated to begin slinging noodle bowls, beginning in May, near Gate A24.

Williams & Graham

Even if you’re not flying first class, you’ll be able to order some first-class cocktails at  Williams & Graham, which is expected to open on April 21, near Gate A38. Bartender Sean Kenyon’s award-winning Denver bar mixes up 60 classic cocktails, some of which will make their way to DIA.

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Photos showed passengers scrambling out on a wing above the smoke as ground crew members tried to get the bridge to DIA in place and positioned slides and ladders.

“Evacuation procedures will be part of the investigation,” an NTSB email said. The role of the bridge, in particular, “is something the investigators are looking into.”

An NTSB-led team has been investigating at DIA since the incident on March 13, when American Airlines Flight 1006 took off from Colorado Springs at 4:52 p.m., bound for Dallas-Fort Worth. It diverted at 5:14 p.m. to DIA after crew members reported engine vibrations. The aircraft landed safely and taxied to gate C38, where the fire broke out.

DIA ground crews went to the gate and doused the flames as 172 passengers escaped. A dozen passengers were taken to the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora for treatment of smoke inhalation and minor injuries.

An NTSB study done 25 years ago of 46 evacuations over a two-year period found engine fires are the most common cause and that, even when flight attendants commanded passengers to “leave everything,” passengers often took their belongings. Nearly 50% of passengers interviewed for the study reported trying to remove a bag during the evacuation.

The FAA sets standards for airlines to follow in emergencies.

“Airlines determine how to do that, and flight attendants typically instruct passengers to leave all carry-on luggage in the cabin if they evacuate,” FAA spokeswoman Cassandra Nolan said. “FAA regulations require passengers to obey crewmembers’ safety instructions,” Nolan said.

American Airlines officials did not respond to requests to discuss what happened.

Airline crews undergo training to prioritize passenger safety and quick movement of people off the plane.

At Metropolitan State University of Denver, Aviation and Aerospace Science professor and FAA chief instructor Chad Kendall, a former commercial airline pilot for American Eagle and other airlines, saw the incident as a case study in the complexities of evacuating aircraft.

Beyond the question of which exits were used and crew members’ actions, “a crucial and unpredictable element is human behavior,” Kendall said. “Passengers often react instinctively under stress, which can either aid or hinder the process, he said.

“Even if the jet bridge was in use for passengers deplaning through the forward exits, the urgency and panic inside the cabin may have led passengers to independently initiate an evacuation through the over-wing exits,” he said. “Instinct takes over, and their primary focus becomes finding the nearest available exit to ensure their safety.” 

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The inaugural flights scheduled to depart Tuesday and Wednesday will make Contour the 27th airline providing flights from DIA.

From Concourse C, Contour will fly 30-seat Embraer jets daily to Moab, departing at 5:40 p.m. (arriving at 7:15 p.m.). Flights to Vernal are scheduled five days a week, departing DIA at 4 p.m. (arriving at 5:25 p.m.)  Return flights will leave Moab at 2:50 p.m. and Vernal at 1:40 p.m.

Previous SkyWest flights from DIA that carried passengers to Moab and Vernal ended 14 months ago.

The new flights increase DIA airlines’ offerings to 191 destinations across 46 U.S. states.

Contour Airlines officials call DIA “a new hub” for their efforts to link smaller communities. They’ve established a partnership with United Airlines. They allow a free checked bag and serve snacks and drinks. DIA chief executive Phil Washington has said increased connections to rural and mid-size cities are part of the airport’s growth strategy to serve 100 million travelers a year.

In May, United Airlines plans to fly the first nonstop flights from DIA to Rome, Italy, and Regina, Canada. DIA officials also noted new United flights this year to Peoria, Illinois; Buffalo, New York; Redding, California; and Wilmington, North Carolina.

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“Six years ago, three friends took a major leap and opened FlyteCo Brewing off Tennyson Street in a dusty old electric plant building,” the brewery’s owners wrote on social media.

“Since then, we’ve hosted countless family gatherings, baby showers, trivia and open mic nights, yoga and craft workshops, and more that entrenched us in the neighborhood. You all have always made it feel like home,” they continued about the spot at 4499 W. 38th Ave.

The aviation theme is a result of two of the owners being pilots, and it extended into the first location with a fuselage structure where drinkers could sit and other plane-related ideas and decor. The brewery is also known for harvesting fresh hops on the Western Slope and then flying them to Denver so they can be used in an annual beer within hours of being picked.

But on April 5, the company will have a final party before closing that night, and refocusing on FlyteCo Tower, a sprawling, 17,000-square-foot complex — opened in 2022 at 3120 Uinta St. It includes a small bowling alley, arcade games, a coffee shop — and even tours to the top of the 164-foot historic tower.

“It’s bittersweet, but the right move for the future of FlyteCo,” the owners wrote.

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Southwest Airlines will begin charging customers a fee to check bags, abandoning a decades-long practice that executives had described last fall as key to differentiating the budget carrier from its rivals.

Southwest, which built years of advertising campaigns around its policy of letting passengers check up to two bags for free, said Tuesday that people who haven’t either reached the upper tiers of its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, bought a business class ticket or hold the airline’s credit card will have to pay for checked bags.

The airline did not outline the fee schedule but said the new policy would start with flights booked on May 28.

“We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future customer needs, attract new customer segments we don’t compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our shareholders expect,” CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement.

Less than a year ago, the Dallas-based airline announced it was doing away with another tradition, the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years. Southwest expects to begin operating flights with passengers in assigned seats next year.

Southwest has struggled recently and is under pressure from activist investors to boost profits and revenue. The airline reached a truce in October with hedge fund Elliott Investment Management to avoid a proxy fight, but Elliott won several seats on the company board.

The airline announced last month that it was eliminating 1,750 jobs, or 15% of its corporate workforce, in the first major layoffs in the company’s 53-year history.

The job cuts, which were scheduled to be mostly completed by the end of June, are part of a plan to slash costs and transform the company into a “leaner, faster, and more agile organization,” Jordan said at the time.

Southwest’s stock rose more than 9% Tuesday.

As recently as Southwest’s investor day in late September, airline executives described the bags-fly-free as the most important feature in setting Southwest apart from rivals. All other leading U.S. airlines charge for checked luggage, and Wall Street has long argued that Southwest was leaving money behind.

The airline estimated in September that charging bag fees would bring in about $1.5 billion a year but cost the airline $1.8 billion in lost business from customers who chose to fly Southwest because of its generous baggage allowance.

Southwest said Tuesday that it would continue to offer two free checked bags to Rapid Rewards A-List preferred members and customers traveling on Business Select fares, and one free checked bag to A-List members and other select customers. Passengers with Rapid Rewards credit cards will receive a credit for one checked bag.

People who don’t qualify for those categories will get charged to check bags. The airline said that it also would roll out a new, basic fare on its lowest priced tickets when the change takes effect.

“I would rather have the free checked bags, that’s for sure,” said customer Dorothy Severson, who was awaiting a flight Tuesday at Chicago Midway International Airport. “It’s one of the main reasons I still fly Southwest.”

Southwest is betting that the added bag fees will outweigh the loss of business from travelers who look closely at the costs on top of ticket prices. Rivals on Tuesday saw an opening.

“I think clearly there are some customers who chose them because of that, and now those customers are up for grabs,” said Delta Airlines President Glen Hauenstein, speaking at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference.

Yet in the current economic environment, keeping travel affordable may play an outsized roll in staying competitive. The trade war initiated by President Donald Trump is roiling U.S. markets and dampening the high-flying optimism prevalent last year among businesses and households.

To start the week, Delta slashed its quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, saying that a recent decline in consumer and corporate confidence over the economy is weakening domestic demand. Shares of Delta have tumbled 24% this year.

Shares of United have slumped 22%, JetBlue 27% and American Airlines a whopping 32%.

On Tuesday, Southwest cut its own expectations for the quarter. The airline now anticipates revenue per available seat mile will rise between 2% and 4%. That is down sharply from its previous projections of a 5% to 7% increase. The airline said it expects capacity to be down about 2%.

The airline announced last year that along with giving passengers assigned seats, it would charge them extra for with more legroom and offer red-eye flights.

AP Video Journalist Melissa Perez Winder contributed to this report from Chicago.

Southwest, which runs its busiest operation at DIA, will offer an average 7,785 departures a month from DIA this year, down from 8,157 in 2024 and 8,117 in 2023, according to airline data provided to The Denver Post.

The number of flights each month at DIA and other airports will vary more. For example, Southwest scheduled 6,580 flights out of DIA this month, down from 7,413 in February 2024, and in March it will fly 7,873 flights, down from 8,668 the same month last year.

Southwest carried a record 25.5 million passengers at DIA last year, when its total annual number of outbound flights peaked at 97,888, up from 97,411 in 2023, company data shows. But during the final months last year, as fights were reduced, monthly passenger traffic declined compared with the levels in 2023.

While flights will be fewer, Southwest is adopting a new strategy to ensure passenger numbers at DIA continue to increase overall: deploying larger aircraft, company spokesman Dan Landson said. Travelers booking flights this year are more likely to ride on a 175-seater aircraft instead of a 143-seater.

Daily flights out of DIA and other airports will depend more on travel pattern data, Landson said. On winter days this month and next, 243 daily flights will depart, compared with 302 flights a day scheduled in June. Flight frequencies will be reduced mostly on off-peak travel days — Tuesday and Wednesday — and the changes generally will mean fewer flights to colder destinations during winter and to super-hot destinations during summer, he said.

“It’s about efficiency and profitability and matching our flights to travel demand. It comes down to having the right number of flights for the right number of customers at the right time,” Landson said. “If we see there are a lot of people at DIA who want to travel in the dead of winter, we’re going to add more flights.”

Southwest flies about 33% of the flights at DIA, behind United Airlines (36%) but ahead of Frontier (12%), Delta (8%), and American (6%).

The airline began flying out of DIA around 2006 and helped propel DIA’s expansion to become one of the world’s busiest airports, with overall passenger boardings in 2024 hitting a record 82.3 million.

Airlines “frequently make capacity adjustments in response to a variety of factors,” and DIA “constantly monitors these changes,” DIA officials said in an email. The airport “benefits from a deep network of airlines that provide extensive service options to meet the growing demand for travel.”

Southwest is reducing flights at other airports, but not as many as at DIA, Landson said.

Airline strategic adjustments include layoffs of 1,750 employees, mostly at corporate headquarters in Dallas but possibly including a few managers in Denver, and ending the open-seating system starting in 2026.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans’ confidence in air travel and the federal agencies tasked with maintaining air safety has slipped a little from last year, following a recent crash in Washington, according to a new poll, but most still believe air transportation is generally safe.

The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that 64% of U.S. adults say plane travel is “very safe” or “somewhat safe.” That’s down slightly from last year, when 71% said that. About 2 in 10 U.S. adults now say air transportation is very or somewhat unsafe, up from 12% in 2024.

Faith in government agencies’ ability to ensure safe air travel dipped as well. Just over half of U.S. adults have “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” of confidence in federal government agencies to maintain air safety, down slightly from about 6 in 10 last year.

The poll was conducted Feb. 6-10, shortly after the Jan. 30 collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter in Washington but before a Delta jet flipped on its roof while landing in Toronto. The Washington collision, which killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, was the country’s deadliest aviation disaster since 2001. The decline in confidence, while small, suggests that the event may have rattled some Americans. The 2024 poll was conducted after another incident that raised questions about the safety of air travel, in which a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines jetliner above Oregon, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane.

Overall, Americans think traveling by plane is about as safe as walking or taking a car. About two-thirds say either walking or driving are safe forms of transportation. Only about half of U.S. adults say a local subway, metro or light rail system is safe, in line with 2024.

After the Washington crash, President Donald Trump, a Republican, blamed federal diversity and inclusion promotion efforts and reassured Americans that it is safe to fly. That may help explain why Democrats and independents, but not Republicans, have seen a drop in trust.

Independents’ belief that plane travel is safe fell substantially, from about 6 in 10 calling it safe last year to about 4 in 10 now. About 7 in 10 Democrats say plane travel is safe, down slightly from about three-quarters in 2024. Republicans have not changed their views about air travel being safe.

Democrats and independents also have less faith in the government’s ability to ensure air safety than they did four years ago. The poll was conducted before the firing of probationary Federal Aviation Administration employees, but at least some of the shift is likely related to the change in presidential administration, from Joe Biden, a Democrat, to Trump.

In January 2024, when Biden was still president, about 7 in 10 Democrats said they had high confidence in federal government agencies to maintain air safety. Now only 6 in 10 Democrats say that. Independents’ confidence also declined, while Republicans’ opinions did not move.

The poll found that U.S. adults’ confidence in pilots and commercial airlines remains unchanged. About 8 in 10 U.S. adults have a high level of confidence in pilots, and about three-quarters say that about commercial airlines.

The AP-NORC poll of 1,112 adults was conducted Feb. 6-10, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

The airline has said it will build a new flight center to supplement its main training facility in northeast Denver, but has remained mum on the entirety of its plans. An aviation website said Jan. 31 that it “doesn’t take more than 100 acres for pilot training.”

And the Chicago Tribune last year editorialized that the Windy City headquarters could be at risk.

United, the dominant carrier at Denver International Airport, submitted an initial plan to the city in November for the land it bought for $33 million. The infrastructure master plan prepared by the architecture firm ZGF said the airline will build a new flight training center, which it wants to have running by fall 2027.

Ample space would remain once a flight center is built. The master plan includes five office buildings to the west of the training facility. The plan plots 1.6 million square feet for 6,171 employees, but doesn’t specify what the buildings would house.

Gary Leff, a financial executive and founder of the frequent-flier website View from the Wing, wrote in a Jan. 31 blog that United officials have said there were no imminent plans to move the airline’s headquarters.

“Saying that no move is ‘imminent’ was not a denial,” Leff wrote, adding that United has scaled back its presence in Chicago’s Willis Tower, where its lease runs to 2032. “And United lacks a corporate campus like Delta and American now have.”

“We do not have anything additional to share on our plans for the land we’ve purchased in Denver. The land provides United with future options, of which there are no set plans beyond using the land to expand our Flight Training Center capabilities,” United spokesman Russell Carlton said Monday in an email.

United has said Denver is its fastest-growing hub and has roughly 10,000 employees in the state. Denver is also home to the training center where all United pilots go. The current 23-acre center is in northeast Denver and has reached its maximum capacity.

The proposal is the first step in rezoning the land from agricultural use. Ryan Huff, spokesman for Denver’s community planning and development, said the staff anticipates completing the review by the fourth quarter this year. Other steps, including review of a site development plan, will follow.

The infrastructure master plan shows four buildings for the additional flight training center totaling 865,000 square feet on the site at the corner of 64th Avenue and Yampa Street. The first phase of development would include the training center and an energy plant.

The larger northwest portion is referred to as a “Future Site” in the plan, which said the land is reserved for “flexible development” with premium views of the mountains and access to open space facing Peña Boulevard, the main route to the airport, and light rail.

Is there a new United corporate headquarters in the future of the site? United CEO Scott Kirby, who attended last year’s grand opening of the expansion of the current flight training center, said there were no other specific plans for the rest of the 113-acre parcel.

“There’s nothing that’s ‘Yes.’ There’s nothing that’s ‘No.’ It’s optionality,” Kirby told The Denver Post.

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According to the Houston Police Department, a man on the flight was acting erratically and began punching the seat in front of him as well as the window next to him.

Passengers around the man restrained him until the plane could land. Houston police responded to a welfare check when the flight landed around 11 p.m.

According to Houston Police, the investigation has been turned over to the FBI and Frontier Airlines have declined to press charges. Frontier has declined to comment on the incident.

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