Summary
- Dallas and Denver Airports are expected to experience double-digit passenger growth this year, despite already being busy hubs.
- American and United Airlines are major contributors to the passenger growth at the airports, with American operating near its pre-pandemic peak this summer.
- DFW anticipates exceeding 8 million more passengers than last year, while DEN expects to see 78-79 million passengers.
Two of the largest hub airports in the US are expected to grow even more. Behind Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Denver International Airport (DEN) reportedly were the second and third busiest airports, respectively, last year.
The fact is somewhat surprising given the high passenger numbers that both large airports already record. It comes as airlines have experienced strong travel demand following the pandemic's adverse effects on the industry.
American & United
According to Airline Weekly, DFW and DEN expect to reach double-digit passenger growth this year. Home to two US Legacy Airlines, DFW is the main hub for Fort Worth-based American Airlines, while DEN is a longtime interior west hub for Chicago-based United Airlines.
Both American and United are significant contributors to the passenger growth expected at DFW and DEN. For large hubs to grow, millions of travelers had to have passed through the airports the year prior.
Over 800 departures
This year DFW anticipates to exceed at least 8 million more passengers passing through the airport than last year.
"We're going to hit 80 million customers this year. We're really confident in that," said DFW CEO Sean Donohue, speaking to Airline Weekly.
Donohue also mentioned the expectation is a more than 10% year-over-year increase. Last year, DFW recorded passenger numbers that came in just shy of its traffic peak before the pandemic at just over 72 million travelers.
American has an immense operation at DFW, with several connectivity options for travelers. This summer, the oneworld airline has operated more than 830 daily departures on peak days, which is just shy of its peak of 900 daily departures, according to Airline Weekly. The average number of seats per departure is 13% higher this summer compared to 2019, equivalent to 143 seats – a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 – per flight.
Donohue also said DFW continues to see growth with international airlines particularly and expects it through the remainder of the decade. But, American will challenge the growth at its hometown airport by adding more flights to Shanghai and introducing a new service to Barcelona next year.
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Nearly 70 million travelers
DEN sees the bulk of its passengers from Southwest, United, and ultra-low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines. With its headquarters in Denver, Frontier calls DEN home, operating a significant hub at the airport. Airline Weekly says the airport expects to see 78-79 million passengers this year. Airport data also reportedly indicates that the growth could be as much as a 14% year-over-year increase. With over 69 million passengers passing through last year, DEN exceeded its pre-pandemic peak.
Dallas-based Southwest plans to expand its operations at DEN in addition to United, as 39 new gates were just added to the airport. The opening of the new gates was the first major concourse expansion since the airport began operations nearly 30 years ago.
"Thirty-nine new gates is the equivalent of a medium-sized airport built within the framework of Denver International Airport," said Denver Airport Chief Operating Officer Steve Jaquith, according to Airline Weekly. "The demand is definitely there to fill that."
Southwest has reportedly introduced new routes from DEN to Bozeman, Montana, Eugene, Oregon, and Steamboat Springs, Colorado, while United has also announced several new routes, including new early morning departures.
Source: Airline Weekly