It might be time to add a trophy case to all that construction happening at Denver International Airport.
The airport set its latest all-time traffic record of more than 77.8 million people in 2023. That figure is a 12.3% increase over 2022's approximate 69.3 million passengers which was, you guessed it, also an all-time traffic record.
The airport saw its largest-ever volume of international passengers at around 4 million, an increase of 21.5% over 2022. Southwest and United, the latter of which has itself been expanding at DIA, also set all-time passenger records.
"2023 was a year of extraordinary growth for DEN and I am proud of the airport team for the ways that we have adjusted our strategies, invested in new technologies and worked to meet the moment while also continuing to prepare for the future," said airport CEO Phil Washington in a statement Wednesday.
Earlier this week the airport had a soft opening for its new West Security Checkpoint, which includes new TSA screening technology. It's part of a massive renovation of the Great Hall set to wrap in 2027.
For travelers looking to avoid DIA's notorious traffic and long security lines, July of last year was the airport's busiest month, followed by October, August, September and June.
The records will likely keep coming as the airport projects to hit its 100 million passenger milestone by 2027, five years ahead of schedule. As the airport quickly adds flights across the country and globe, it's planning for 120 million passengers, 100 more gates and four new concourses by 2045.
