b'16 DEN TERMINALSDenver Intl Nearing End of $2.3 Billion Gate Expansion Program BY KRISTEN RINDFLEISCHDenver International Airport (DEN)Crews began work on the gatethis puts DEN on track to have just less is moving full speed ahead withexpansions in May 2018. Concoursethan 73 million passengers in 2022.Vision 100, its strategic plan toB-West opened in November 2020When the Gate Expansion Program serve 100 million annual passengers withinand C-East in May 2022. Concoursesbegan, airport officials didnt know when the next 10 years. Phase 1 of the $2.3A-West and B-East are scheduled to bethe gates would be leased or by whom, so billion gate expansion portion is currentlycompleted later this year. all were planned as common-use gates. underway in four concourses. In total, When the city-owned airport wasAfter construction was underway in spring the expansion will add 39 new gates originally built more than 27 years ago,2020, United Airlines and Southwest and increase the airports overall capacityit was designed to serve 50 millionAirlines committed to leasing the gates, by 30%.annual passengers. In 2019, it servedso designs were modified to meet their But the expansion isnt just aboutapproximately 69 million passengers. Lastspecific needs. United is increasing getting more planes in and out ofyear, DEN logged 58.8 million passengers,from 67 to 90 gates and Southwest is the airfield. Its also about improvingmaking it one of the fastest U.S. airportsincreasing from 24 to 40 gates, making the concourses with more naturalto recover following the pandemic-relatedDEN the biggest U.S. hub for each. light, noticeably better acoustics andshutdowns of 2020.The $2.3 billion Gate Expansion passenger-pleasing features such asCurrently, DEN is ranked the third- Program is being funded by general outdoor decks and restrooms with viewsbusiest U.S. airport and one of the topenterprise funds, financed by bonds. of the airfield and mountains. Vision 10010 busiest in the world. Moreover, itThe original budget was $1.5 billion to places a strong emphasis on sustainability;continues trending upward. This March,construct 39 new gates; however, once equity, diversity and inclusion; enhancingApril and May, DEN exceeded its pre- the gates were officially leased to United the customer experience; and continuouspandemic passenger levels for thoseand Southwest, DEN added work to the stakeholder input. months in 2019. Airport officials note thatprogram to accommodate the relocation September 2022AirportImprovement.com'