June 2023 will go down as the busiest month of travel ever for Denver International Airport.
For now, the 6,769,608 passengers who traveled through the airport is the highest count ever registered in one month for DIA. The previous record was set in 2019 with about 35,000 fewer travelers, according to a statement from the airport.
Almost 400,000 international travelers also made their way through DIA this June, setting a new high, according to DIA officials.
In a statement, CEO Phil Washington attributed the record travel month to airlines adding flight destinations and amenities.
"The first half of 2023 is just the beginning as we are on pace for a record-breaking year and beyond," Washington said in the statement.
Travel through DIA, the third-busiest airport in the world, has not always been easy this year.
A very rainy and stormy June led to flight delays and more than a dozen ground stops at the airport. And for a while now, disputes with pilots and other workers have caused staffing issues for United Airlines, which is working to make DIA one of its largest hubs in the country.
Still, those issues didn't seem to put a dent in travel expectations and officials predict that the airport will reach either 78 or 79 million passengers served in the second half of 2023. That would break the previous annual record of 69.3 million that was set last year.
If that sounds like travel might just keep getting more hectic at DIA, keep these things in mind.
You can still use DEN Reserve, a program that allows you to reserve a spot in line at Bridge Security. Basically, three days before your flight, you can book your spot between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. and arrive either 15 minutes early or late. (Side note: I used this once in late July and got to my gate from passenger drop-off in less than 10 minutes.)
And while DIA's renovation and addition of security checkpoints won't likely be done until next year, there are a few ways you can prepare for long security lines in the meantime. You can try to:
- Arrive earlier;
- Get TSA Precheck or CLEAR;
- Or monitor security wait times.
You can read our full guide on dealing with security slowdowns at DIA right here.
