Another blizzard on December 20–21, 2006, dumped over 20 inches (51 cm) of snow in about 24 hours. Its length, exceeded by only six other runways in the world, allows fully-laden Airbus A380s and Boeing 747-8s to take off in the hot and high conditions at the airport, which is roughly 1 mi (1.6 km) above sea level.ĭuring a blizzard on March 17–19, 2003, the weight of heavy snow tore a hole in the terminal's white fabric roof, and over 2 feet (0.61 m) of snow on paved areas closed the airport and its main access road ( Peña Boulevard) for almost two days, stranding several thousand people. In September 2003, runway 16R/34L was added, the airport's sixth and at 16,000 ft (3.0 mi 4.9 km), it is 4,000 ft (0.76 mi 1.2 km) longer than the other runways. United Airlines Flight 1062 to Kansas City International Airport was the first to depart DIA and United Flight 1474 from Colorado Springs Airport was the first to arrive at the new airport. The construction employed 11,000 workers. ĭEN finally replaced Stapleton on February 28, 1995, 16 months behind schedule and at a cost of $4.8 billion (equivalent to $8.5 billion today), nearly $2 billion over budget ($3.6 billion today). The baggage system continued to be a maintenance hassle and was finally terminated in September 2005, with traditional baggage handlers manually handling cargo and passenger luggage. After the embarrassing preview, the mayor cancelled the planned May opening. Reporters were treated to scenes of clothing and other personal effects scattered beneath the system's tracks and carts that would often toss the luggage right off the system. In April 1994, the city invited reporters to observe the first test of the new automated baggage system. By September 1993, delays due to a millwright strike and other events meant opening day was pushed back again, to May 1994. The airline finally relented under the condition that the airport include an automated baggage system.Ĭonstruction delays pushed opening day back, first to December 1993, then to March 1994. At the time United was refusing to move to the new airport over the high proposed fees. Two years later, Mayor Wellington Webb inherited the megaproject, which at that time was scheduled to open on October 29, 1993. The rest of the cost would be financed by bonds, to be repaid with fees on airlines. But seeing the importance of a Denver air hub to the national transportation system, the federal government put $500 million (equivalent to $1.1 billion today) toward the new airport. The proposal was met with some skepticism because of its location: 24 miles (39 km) from the heart of the city. In 1988, Adams County voters approved the annexation. Įventually Peña struck a deal: Adams County leaders would rally citizens to back a plan for Denver to annex 54 square miles (140 km 2) of the county to build an airport away from established neighborhoods. The plan had broad support, but leaders in nearby Adams County threatened to sue over noise concerns. Meanwhile, in 1983, Federico Peña was elected mayor of Denver, campaigning on a plan to expand Stapleton onto Rocky Mountain Arsenal lands. įrom 1980 to 1983, the Denver Regional Council of Governments investigated areas for a new area airport north and east of Denver. But Stapleton was cramped, with little room to add additional flights and with runways too close together, leading to long waits in bad weather that would cause nationwide travel disruptions. Several airlines, notably United Airlines and Continental Airlines were hubbed at the former Stapleton International Airport, helping make it the sixth-busiest airport in the country by the 1960s. The Air Traffic Control Tower and Concourse C at Denver International Airport with a United Airlines Boeing 737-800 taxiing belowĭenver has traditionally been home to one of the busier airports in the United States because its midcontinent location was ideal for an airline hub.
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