Denver International Airport Sees Record Revenue, Nears Billion Dollar Mark in 2016

DENVER – March 21, 2017 – Denver International Airport’s (DEN) total gross revenue is estimated to have increased by 4.4 percent to $976.4 million in 2016, setting a new all-time record for the airport.

DEN’s total gross operating revenue in 2016 is estimated to be $777.1 million, according to preliminary and unaudited figures. The airport’s operating revenue has grown 21.1 percent since 2010, and non-airline revenue has grown an incredible 56.5 percent during that time.

The increase in 2016 revenue was primarily driven by growth in non-airline revenue of nearly 13 percent over the prior year. The 2016 non-airline revenue, which includes parking ($177.2 million), car rentals ($67 million), concessions ($65.4 million), aviation fuel tax ($18.1 million), the Westin Denver International Airport ($43.1 million) and other sales and charges ($20 million), totaled $390.8 million. Airline revenue, which includes facility rentals and landing fees, totaled $386.2 million, an increase of 1.3 percent. Of this amount, the airport provided a $40 million revenue share back to the airlines due to DEN’s strong non-airline performance.

A total of 58.3 million passengers used DEN in 2016, an increase of 7.9 percent and an all-time record for the airport. Origination and destination passenger traffic – passengers beginning or ending their journey in Denver – saw similar increases, which contributes to higher concession, car rental and ground transportation revenue. The Westin Denver International Airport also completed its first full year of operation in 2016, exceeding projections on strong demand for rooms, meeting space, food and beverages.

“More than 22 years into the life of this airport, we are in a strong financial position that has been bolstered by increased demand for travel to and from Denver and our continued focus on developing sources of nonairline revenue,” said Gisela Shanahan, DEN’s executive vice president, chief financial officer. “These efforts provide a competitive operating environment for the airlines and the financial resources to grow our facility and keep up with the demands of aging infrastructure.”

DEN is an enterprise fund of the City and County of Denver, which means no taxpayer money received by the city’s General Fund is used for airport expenditures. DEN operates as a self-sustaining business where fees are charged to users of the airport to cover the costs of providing goods and services.

The complete, audited financial report will be available at FlyDenver.com later this summer.

Denver International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. DEN is the primary economic engine for the state of Colorado, generating more than $36 billion for the region annually. For more information visit www.FlyDenver.com, check us out on YouTube and Instagram, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Sign up for DEN’s monthly newsletter Nonstop News.

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