United Airlines already has more gates than any other airline at Denver International Airport and the company plans to add more, meaning customers will see more flights to more cities.
Denver City Council members unanimously approved the addition of 24 gates for United on Monday. The airline will have 90 gates leased by 2025, adding to its dominance at DIA. United accounts for about 45 percent of DIA's traffic, according to city documents.
DIA sees currently sees about 500 United departures per day, according to Steve Jaquith, vice president of Denver's United hub. That figure will grow to about 700 by 2025, he said, meaning more options for flyers.
"There will be more markets, but certainly a lot more frequency for certain cities," Jaquith told Denverite. Most destinations will be domestic, but some could be international, he added.
When all is said and done, Denver's United hub could be the airline's second largest, Jaquith said.
He said the expansion will not affect ticket prices and that Denver's growth will increase demand even as more gates and flights become available.
"If anything, it's just going to add more demand than supply," Jaquith said.
The expansion could also be good for local workers. United employs about 7,000 people in the metro area, according to city documents.
