Going from Great to Greater

Denver International Airport Holds Sixth Annual ‘State of DIA’ Luncheon

DENVER, CO — April 29, 2014 — Today, Denver International Airport (DIA), the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (Metro Denver EDC) and the Metro Denver Aviation Coalition (MDAC) hosted the sixth annual State of DIA luncheon at the Denver Marriott City Center, with the theme “Going from Great to Greater.”

Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock made opening remarks and introduced Denver’s Manager of Aviation Kim Day.

“Denver International Airport is a national and internationally recognized airport that is driving economic achievement for the Denver metro area, state of Colorado and Rocky Mountain region,” Mayor Hancock said. “The work being done today to improve facilities, services and connections will further deliver a globally competitive airport for decades to come. But we cannot rest on this success. We must remain committed to investing in this asset to meet the very real demands of an evolving aviation industry head on and deliver on the great potential of DIA.”

Kim Day, DIA’s Manager of Aviation, addressed the transformative year that was 2013 and the challenges to remain competitive in the future. Day highlighted new international service, including Denver’s first nonstop flight to Tokyo. DIA was the only large U.S. airport named among the Top 10 by Skytrax. The airport was also recognized as the “Best U.S. Airport for Art” in USA Today’s “10Best Reader’s Choice” travel contest and as winner of the prestigious Best Food & Beverage-Related Innovation award by the Moodie Report. In addition, construction crews are moving along pouring the 13th floor on the 14-story Westin Hotel, scheduled to open in 2015, followed in 2016 by the opening of commuter rail service from DIA to Downtown Denver.

“In order to continue growing, we will lean on the many partnerships that we have developed over the years,” Day said. “We need you to be a part of this journey. Much as you did when the dream of building DIA was new, we again need your support and partnership to achieve our new vision of becoming America’s favorite connecting hub, where the Rocky Mountains meet the world. It’s a big idea. But by focusing on this vision, we can grow our passenger base, strengthen our economic impact and maintain our place as a leading world airport.”

Day noted that in 2013, DIA added flights to new destinations around the world. International air service grew by 13 percent, including United’s first nonstop flight to Tokyo from Denver. Frontier Airlines added international service to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Existing international air service such as Icelandair has grown from four times weekly in the summer of 2012 to six times a week in the summer of 2013 and now daily in the summer of 2014, continuing to gain traction as a way to connect to Europe. While Volaris, which already flies to Mexico City, is adding new nonstop service to Guadalajara and Chihuahua.

“In the coming years, we have set our sights on adding more international nonstop destinations, such as Panama City, but we know our bread and butter is our strength as a domestic hub, and our primary focus must be maintaining and growing our connecting traffic,” said Day.

Day also addressed how the airport is financially strong, with $600 million in cash reserves. DIA’s concessions program opened 21 new locations in 2013, and gross sales totaled $295 million, an all-time record. DIA has grown to become Colorado’s biggest economic engine, generating more than $26.3 billion for the region’s economy each year.

“Today, there’s no denying that DIA is a great airport, but we know there is room for improvement,” Day said. “Although 2013 was a transformative and productive year, we took a hard look at ourselves and we found we are lagging behind competitors in our field. “Airports around the world – such as Changi Airport in Singapore, Incheon Airport in South Korea and San Francisco are capitalizing on the new realities of air travel and changing expectations of air travelers by building bigger and brighter spaces that offer an endless array of services and amenities that cater to their demands.”

Special guest Michael P. Huerta, Administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration spoke after Kim’s keynote address.

“Denver International Airport was among the first major airports in the country to implement NextGen arrival and departure procedures as part of the Metroplex airspace redesign project,” FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said. “The Denver workgroup is a model of collaboration among the FAA, airlines, Jeppesen and many others. We recently presented the Chairman’s Citation of Merit Award for this outstanding achievement of safe design and implementation. Denver’s Airport, led by Manager Kim Day, has set the bar high partnering to modernize the skies with new technology and procedures to save time and fuel and reduce emissions.”

The presenting sponsor of the 2013 State of DIA luncheon was Mortensen/Hunt/Saunders Tri-Venture. Additional support was provided by the Metro Denver EDC and the Metro Denver Aviation Coalition. A copy of Day’s full remarks is available online at http://business.flydenver.com/info/news/stateofdia.asp.

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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