History of Denver International Airport in Timeline

Denver International Airport (DIA) is a major international airport serving the Denver metropolitan area and the Front Range Urban Corridor. It's the largest airport in the Western Hemisphere by land area. Located 25 miles northeast of Downtown Denver, DIA replaced Stapleton International Airport. Its Runway 16R/34L is the longest public use runway in North America.

1980: Investigation of Areas for New Airport

From 1980, the Denver Regional Council of Governments investigated areas for a new area airport north and east of Denver.

1982: Jack Swigert elected to House of Representatives

In 1982, Jack Swigert, who flew on Apollo 13 as Command Module Pilot, was elected to the House of Representatives. However, he died of cancer before he was sworn in.

1983: Mayor Elected on Stapleton Expansion Plan

In 1983, Federico Peña was elected mayor of Denver, campaigning on a plan to expand Stapleton onto Rocky Mountain Arsenal lands.

1988: Adams County Approves Annexation

In 1988, Adams County voters approved the annexation of 54 square miles of the county to Denver to build an airport away from established neighborhoods.

September 1989: Groundbreaking

Ground was broken for the new airport in September 1989.

1989: Land Transferred from Adams County

The land occupied by Denver International Airport was transferred from Adams County to Denver after a 1989 vote.

September 1993: Opening Day Delay

By September 1993, delays meant opening day was pushed back again to May 1994.

October 29, 1993: Original Scheduled Opening Date

Mayor Wellington Webb inherited the megaproject, which at that time was scheduled to open on October 29, 1993.

December 1993: Opening Day Pushed Back

Construction delays pushed opening day back to December 1993.

1993: Blue Mustang commission

In 1993, the Blue Mustang sculpture by Luis Jiménez was commissioned as one of the earliest public art pieces for Denver International Airport.

March 1994: Opening Day Further Delayed

Construction delays pushed opening day back to March 1994.

April 1994: Test of Automated Baggage System

In April 1994, the city invited reporters to observe the first disastrous test of the new automated baggage system, resulting in the cancellation of the planned May opening.

May 1994: Opening Day Pushed Back

Construction delays pushed opening day back to May 1994.

February 28, 1995: DEN Replaced Stapleton

Denver International Airport finally replaced Stapleton on February 28, 1995, 16 months behind schedule.

1995: Airport Opens

Denver International Airport opened in 1995.

1997: Duplicate statue of Jack Swigert placed at United States Capitol

In 1997, a duplicate of a bronze statue of Denver native Jack Swigert was placed at the United States Capitol. The statue, created by George Lundeen, depicts Swigert in an A7L pressure suit holding a gold-plated helmet.

2000: Top 20 Busiest Airports

Since 2000, Denver International Airport has been among the top 20 busiest airports in the world every year.

September 2003: Runway 16R/34L Added

In September 2003, runway 16R/34L was added to Denver International Airport.

2003: Blizzard Causes Damage and Closure

During a blizzard from March 17-19, 2003, heavy snow tore a hole in the terminal's roof, and the airport was closed for almost two days.

September 2005: Automated Baggage System Terminated

The automated baggage system was finally terminated in September 2005, with traditional baggage handlers manually handling cargo and passenger luggage.

January 2006: Southwest Airlines Enters DEN

After shunning Denver International Airport for over a decade for its high fees, Southwest Airlines entered the airport in January 2006 with 13 daily flights.

2006: Blizzard Causes Closure

Another blizzard on December 20-21, 2006, dumped over 20 inches of snow in about 24 hours leading to the airport being closed for more than 45 hours.

2006: Death of Luis Jiménez

In 2006, artist Luis Jiménez died at the age of 65 while creating the Blue Mustang sculpture when a part of it fell and severed an artery in his leg.

February 11, 2008: Blue Mustang unveiled

On February 11, 2008, the Blue Mustang sculpture, completed by others after the death of Luis Jiménez, was unveiled at Denver International Airport. The statue has been controversial and nicknamed "Blucifer".

September 9, 2015: Campaign to Expand Commercial Development

On September 9, 2015, a political campaign was launched by Mayor Michael Hancock to radically expand commercial development at Denver International Airport.

November 2015: Changes Approved

In November 2015, the changes to the agreement to expand commercial development were approved by both Denver and Adams County voters.

November 19, 2015: Westin Hotel Added

On November 19, 2015, a Westin hotel was added to Denver International Airport.

April 22, 2016: Commuter Rail Service to Denver Union Station

On April 22, 2016, Denver International Airport received commuter rail service to Denver Union Station with the opening of RTD's A Line.

2016: "Conspiracy Theories Uncovered" exhibition installed

In 2016, Denver International Airport installed a small "Conspiracy Theories Uncovered" exhibition in the terminal to explain some popular conspiracy theories surrounding the airport.

2017: New Projects Began

After 2017, all existing way-finding signs, flight information display systems and gate signs were replaced.

2017: Terminal Project Expected Completion

As of 2017, the phased terminal project was expected to be completed by 2028.

2018: Temporary Regional Gates Constructed

Concourse A-East wing was originally constructed in 2018.

2018: DEN Served 25 Airlines

In 2018, Denver International Airport served 25 different airlines providing non-stop service to over 215 destinations throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. It was the fourth airport in the U.S. to exceed 200 destinations in 2018.

2018: Marketing campaign tied to renovations

In 2018, a marketing campaign tied to renovations at Denver International Airport used posters with aliens joking about building breeding grounds for gargoyles or meeting halls for Freemasons. The campaign generated over $8 million in revenue.

2018: Jeppesen Terminal Renovation Began

In 2018, work began on a major interior renovation and reconfiguration to the entire Jeppesen Terminal.

2018: Gate Expansion Commenced

In 2018, work commenced on a major gate expansion to all three concourses.

March 2019: Talking gargoyle unveiled

In March 2019, Denver International Airport unveiled an animated, talking gargoyle in one of the concourses. The gargoyle interacted with passengers and joked about conspiracy theories related to the airport.

April 2019: DIA and Roswell International Air Center become "supernatural sister airports"

In April 2019, Denver International Airport and the Roswell International Air Center became "supernatural sister airports." They agreed to collaborate on industry best practices related to commerce, trade, tourism, and sharing strategies for extraterrestrial combat.

2019: Animatronic gargoyle installed

In 2019, Denver International Airport installed an animatronic gargoyle named Gregoriden, or Greg, that made statements such as "welcome to Illuminati headquarters." A more muted version later replaced it after some people took offense, claiming it was satanic.

2020: Gate Expansion Completed

Following the completion of the gate expansion project in 2020, United Airlines made plans to lease additional gates.

2020: Balchen/Post Award

In 2020, Denver International Airport was awarded the Balchen/Post award for outstanding snow and ice removal operation.

2020: Updated Check-in Counters Completed

In late 2020, first phases of completion began—including updated check-in and baggage drop counters for United & Southwest Airlines as well as visual and facility updates to parts of the terminal.

August 20, 2021: Train System Mechanical Failure

On August 20, 2021, the airport experienced a mechanical failure of its train system that caused significant delays.

2021: Third Busiest Airport in the World

In 2021, Denver International Airport was the third busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic, as well as the third busiest airport in the United States.

August 2022: Gate Expansion Project Groundbreaking

In August 2022, Denver International Airport broke ground on an additional gate expansion project on Concourse A.

November 2022: All New Gates in Use

By November 2022, all new gates in A-West, B-West, B-East and C-East were in use.

2022: Third Busiest Airport in the World

In 2022, Denver International Airport was the third busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic, as well as the third busiest airport in the United States.

2022: Committee Formed to Support Flights to Africa

In 2022, a committee was formed to support efforts to establish flights between Denver and Africa.

December 2023: Construction Started on Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation

In December 2023 Denver International Airport started construction on a new 'Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation'.

2023: Companies Proposed Ideas to Transport Passengers

By 2023, several companies proposed their ideas to transport passengers at Denver International Airport after a train system failure.

2023: $4.8 billion equivalent to $8.8 billion as of 2023

DEN cost $4.8 billion (equivalent to $8.8 billion as of 2023), nearly $2 billion over budget ($3.7 billion as of 2023).

2023: Previous Passenger Record

Denver Int'l Airport set a new passenger record in 2023.

2023: Sixth Busiest Airport in the World

In 2023, Denver International Airport was the sixth busiest airport in the world and the third busiest in the United States, serving around 77.8 million passengers.

2023: Plan to Expand Passenger Capacity

In 2023, the airport announced a plan to significantly increase its passenger capacity by expanding the Jeppesen Terminal.

2023: Plans to Add New Concourses

In late 2023, the airport laid out preliminary plans to add four new concourses.

2023: $500 Million equivalent to $1.1 Billion

The federal government put $500 million (equivalent to $1.1 billion as of 2023) toward the new airport.

February 2024: First Security Screening Area Opened

In early February 2024, the first of two new security screening areas (West Security on Level 6) opened to the public.

2024: All-time Passenger Record

In 2024, Denver International Airport set an all-time passenger record, with 82,358,744 passengers served, up 5.8% over the previous record set in 2023.

2024: New Retail and Restaurant Tenants Opening

In 2024, new retail and restaurant tenants continued to open at Denver International Airport.

2024: CEEA Expected to Open

The 'Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation' at Denver International Airport is expected to open in late 2024 or early 2025.

2024: Renovated and Expanded Concourse Opened

The renovated and expanded Concourse A-East wing officially opened summer 2024 and resulted in a gain of four gates for Frontier Airlines.

2025: Gates in Operation

As of early 2025 Denver International Airport has a total of 169 gates in operation.

2025: New Art to Be Installed

New art is expected to be commissioned and installed through 2025.

2025: CEEA Expected to Open

The 'Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation' at Denver International Airport is expected to open in late 2024 or early 2025.

2025: New East Security Expected to Open

The new East Security at DEN is expected to open in mid to late 2025.

2028: Expected Completion Date

As of 2017, the phased terminal project was expected to be completed by 2028.

2045: Projected date to add new concourses

Denver International Airport laid out preliminary plans to add four new concourses with 100 more gates east and west of the terminal by 2045.

2045: Plan to significantly increase its passenger capacity by expanding the Jeppesen Terminal by 2045

In 2023, the airport announced a plan to significantly increase its passenger capacity by expanding the Jeppesen Terminal by 2045 with additional check-in and TSA counters.