2020 - The Year as Weird as
uncertainties and challenges, DEN still had some bright spots.
Here's a list of some of DEN's key accomplishments from 2020:
DEN's 25th Birthday
2020 started with a bang as DEN celebrated our 'silver' year or 25th birthday on
COVID-19 Response
In response to the pandemic, DEN quickly worked to implement new safety measures including plexiglass barriers at security, customer service booths, some airline ticketing desks and concessions. Additional seating in underutilized areas were installed to help with social distancing. More than 100 hand sanitizer stations and wipe dispensers at each gate were installed as well as more than 1,000 signs to remind employees and passengers to social distance, wear masks and wash their hands. Two mask vending machines were even installed to make it easy for passengers to comply with the mask ordinance.
From
DEN
More than 1,037 gallons of hand sanitizer have been used by passengers and employees DEN team members distributed more than 625,000 cloth masks to airports across the state and to passengers inside the airport DEN also quickly responded to the projected downturn in revenue due to the decline of travel, and right sized its annual budget to keep the airport financially strong and allow us to help our partner airlines, concessions and tenants.
Airline and Concession Support
DEN developed a relief package to help airport businesses cope with changes due to COVID-19. The package allowed airlines to defer their rent for April, May and
DEN is offering an additional relief package for 2021, which includes support for airlines, concessions and rental car companies.
Passenger Traffic
COVID-19 had a significant impact on passenger traffic and 2020 will be the first year in nearly a decade that DEN does not set a record for passenger traffic. DEN experienced its lowest passenger traffic volumes on
Additionally, throughout the summer, DEN was often the number-one ranked airport in the
As airlines added flights back throughout the summer and into the fall,
airports. This capacity served not only origination and destination travelers who used the
Air Service
This was a year like no other for airlines operating at DEN. Although there were 75 days in 2020 when DEN did not have international service (
DEN's domestic network has been a bright spot during the pandemic, and the airport currently provides
nonstop service to more than 160 domestic destinations in 43 states. Throughout the year, airlines announced the addition of competitive service on 16 domestic routes, and four new domestic destinations were added to DEN's network:
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To wrap up 2020, 17 of DEN's 23 airlines are now operating, and
New Leases for More Gates
This year, two of DEN's largest airlines signed new use and lease agreements renting all the additional gates being constructed at DEN.
Financial
For the first time, DEN prepared a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and submitted this report to the
Gate Expansion Progress
Extensive progress was made on DEN's
Additionally, the three remaining expansion areas on Concourses A, B and C celebrated 'topping out'
milestones - putting the final structural beams into place and completing the frame for each individual
expansion. Construction across the three concourses will continue through 2021, with all 39 new gates
expected to be operational in 2022, expanding airport capacity by 30% and creating new space for DEN
passengers to spread out and enjoy exciting new amenities.
To complement the ongoing expansion work, DEN executed
Great Hall Milestones
In late December, the project hit its second major milestone ahead of schedule with the completion of the Central Monitoring Facility where the
The Pena Boulevard Improvement project began this summer to improve safety on Pena Boulevard. It has already made major progress and is 50% complete. As part of the project, the return-to-terminal route, which allows drivers on outbound Pena Boulevard to turn back to the terminal, has been relocated to
Federal Inspection Services (FIS) Improvements
In recent months, DEN has taken advantage of lower passenger traffic by accelerating some much-needed improvements including upgrades in the FIS area, where the international arrivals area is located. Now, international passengers will be greeted by brand-new carpet, signage and better lighting when they arrive at DEN. During the renovations, all of the conveyances were also serviced extensively.
Customer Experience Innovations
DEN implemented a number of innovations to help reduce touchpoints for passengers throughout their
journey through the airport:
Eats Delivered
DEN launched Eats Delivered, a 12-month long pilot program that brings a handful of favorite restaurants to passengers anywhere they are in the airport, including their gate! Eats Delivered is powered by AtYourGate and users can download the 'AtYourGate' app then order food from seven participating concessions and have the order delivered to their gate or in the terminal in approximately 30 minutes or less. By providing more dining choices, customers are no longer limited to concessions located only on their departing concourse. Eats Delivered is a way to eliminate the time passengers spend waiting in lines and exchanging cash or credit cards, and it provides another convenient option for passengers with a tight connection, limited time, traveling with children or just preferring to go directly to their gate. Learn more about Eats Delivered here.
VeriFLY
DEN has implemented VeriFLY, a free service designed for health conscious travelers. VeriFLY allows people to make a reservation to access a dedicated
To participate, a self-health screening 24 hours before travel is required. Passengers will also have their
temperatures taken before they go through security. The program is free and easy to use! Learn more here.
Google Translate
Information about DEN became more accessible in 2020. Passengers and visitors to FlyDenver.com now have access to Google Translate. Most pages on FlyDenver.com can now be translated into one of more than 100 languages with a click of a button. Just scroll to the footer of any page and select the language of your choice and browse the website.
Request for Offers for Site at 56th & Telluride
A request for offer on a 3.8-acre land development opportunity on DEN property has been completed and DEN is in contract negotiations with its selected developer for the parcel of land. Once fully approved, construction will begin in 2021 and the new development will be ready for occupancy in late 2022. The parcel of land is located on the northwest corner of
Once completed,
Next, Luminous Wind, which honors
As we look forward to 2021, we want to thank our passengers and our dedicated employees for keeping
DEN safe and operational. DEN is ready when you are ready to travel. We hope to see you in 2021!
on Twitter.
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