Denver International Airport is gearing up for a record number of passengers this Memorial Day weekend, meaning travelers can expect a busy trip and long waits, airport officials said.
Between Thursday and Tuesday, DIA officials expect nearly 450,000 passengers to pass through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, according to a news release. This would be a 9% increase from the same holiday travel period last year.
Thursday and Friday alone each will see more than 80,000 travelers moving through TSA screening areas, with additional foot traffic coming in from flight connections inside the airport, DIA officials said.
Airport officials said holiday travelers should arrive inside the airport at least two hours before their scheduled boarding time and should have plans for parking and making it through security checkpoints.
Parking
Parking lots fill up quickly during the holidays and officials encourage flyers to take the Regional Transportation District’s A-Line train to the airport.
Those committed to parking on-site should avoid the Pikes Peak lot due to construction and park at the Landslide parking lot at 6975 Valley Head St..
The Landslide lot will open for overflow parking at 3 a.m. Friday and will remain open until full. The Pikes Peak and Longs Peak shuttle lots will close at 3 a.m. Friday and re-open by 5 p.m., according to DIA’s news release.
Regular shuttle service will be available from all parking lots to and from the airport terminal.
TSA security checkpoints
DIA’s South Security Checkpoint — located on level five at the south end of the terminal — is open at all times except between 1 and 3 a.m. each morning and is the primary checkpoint for travelers who need standard screening.
South Security has four TSA PreCheck lanes open daily from 4 a.m. to 7:45 p.m., but PreCheck passengers traveling after 8 p.m. may use South Security and receive a form of expedited screening, officials said.
One CLEAR lane is available for standard screening at the South Security Checkpoint, but passengers with both PreCheck and CLEAR must use the dual-service lane at West Security.
The West Security Checkpoint — located on level six at the northwest corner of the terminal — is open from 4 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily and is the primary checkpoint for TSA PreCheck travelers.
Passengers with standard screening at this checkpoint should enter through West Security 1, and passengers with reservations for DEN RESERVE should enter at West Security 2.
Finally, A-Bridge Security is open for standard screening between 4:30 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. daily, officials said.
The bridge has a limited number of lanes dedicated to travelers requiring standard screening and is not available for TSA PreCheck.
Real-time security wait times and parking availability can be found online at FlyDenver.com.
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