Updated at 3:25 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Phil Washington, the CEO of Denver International Airport and former head of the Regional Transportation District, will retire later this summer.
The transit leader took over DIA, one of the nation’s busiest airports, in 2021. The airport was at a crossroads. The massive renovation of the Great Hall was over budget and had no clear timeline. City leaders brought Washington on in hopes that he would replicate his success in completing major construction projects at RTD.
Since then, DIA under Washington has boomed. The airport has grown and grown — with a record-high 82.4 million passengers traveling through DIA in 2025. He has overseen the expansion of most of DIA’s concourses, building new gates, concession space, restrooms and outdoor decks. The Great Hall project is expected to be finished in 2027.
In addition, new plans stewarded by Washington will shape the airport in the decades to come.
But now, Washington said in a statement, a “long-planned decision” means it’s time for him to take a step back.
“I’ve worked in transportation and infrastructure, and we have accomplished so much but my greatest accomplishments have been about building world-class organizations driven by vision, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to people,” he said. “I am deeply proud of the work we have done and know that DEN remains in good hands with a talented team of dedicated professionals.”
DEN is the airport’s official abbreviation.
In a statement, Mayor Mike Johnston said Washington’s leadership has transformed the airport. Johnston is now expected to name his successor following Washington’s retirement in early August. Denver City Council will need to approve the pick.
Washington’s accomplishments and stumbles
Washington came highly recommended when he was nominated to the DIA position in 2021.
While leading RTD from 2009 to 2015, he oversaw the construction of about three-quarters of FasTracks, the Denver-area transit agency's ambitious rail expansion plan. He left the position to oversee L.A. Metro, where he was once again called to oversee a major overhaul of a sputtering transit system.
He carried some baggage from that role when he was being considered for the DIA job. The agency came under investigation for alleged corruption, which led Denver City Council to probe his appointment with greater intensity. Still, he was able to win unanimous approval.
Former colleagues and peers at the time said Washington had built a reputation for getting intensive construction projects done.
When he was nominated to lead DIA, the airport was struggling to finish the Great Hall project, a major rebuild of the public entrance to the airport.
In Washington’s five years on the job, the Great Hall project has accelerated, including with the debut of new, speedier security gates. During that time, DIA has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to build dozens of new gates across its three concourses, as well as shepherding in exciting retailers and restaurants behind security gates.
The airport’s rapid growth is expected to continue. Under Washington, the airport has gotten the ball rolling on a $150 million car rental facility, which would bring the major rental companies under one roof.
Recently, the airport also announced plans to build $300 million or more of walkways in its underground tunnel system as an alternative to its internal train system. Currently, the airport has no real backup to the trains, causing chaos when they are delayed.
Washington was poised to leave for higher office in 2022, when President Joe Biden nominated him to lead the Federal Aviation Administration. After facing criticism from Republican lawmakers over his slim aviation credentials and legal troubles in Los Angeles, he withdrew his name from consideration.
In 2025, the Denver Board of Ethics criticized Washington for exorbitant spending on overseas travel for himself and other DIA executives, but did not find the decisions to cross over into ethical violations.
In recent months, Washington and Mayor Johnston announced — and then quickly walked back — plans to study building a nuclear power plant at the airport to help meet its growing electricity needs. After local officials and residents pushed back on the plan, the airport said it would seek out other clean energy options, but didn’t explicitly shut the door on eventual nuclear power.
