Denver International Airport was ranked as the sixth-busiest airport in the world and the third-busiest in the U.S. for passenger traffic in 2023 by Airports Council International.
According to 2023 data released Monday, 77.8 million passengers flew to, from and through Denver, a 12.3% increase over 2022 totals and the first time the airport has served more than 70 million passengers in a year.
The airport’s best pre-pandemic year for traffic was 2019, with DIA earning 16th-busiest airport in the world. After the COVID-19 pandemic minimized air travel in 2020, DIA was among the fastest-recovering airports, rising to third-highest for passenger traffic worldwide in 2021 and 2022 as Asian and European air travel significantly decreased, according to the council’s 2022 data.
International airport hubs like London’s Heathrow Airport rejoined the ranks for top ten busiest airports in 2022. In 2023, airports in Dubai, London, Tokyo and Dallas surpassed Denver, with Atlanta earning the top-ranked spot.
Although DIA fell three spots in the worldwide rankings, the airport is still rated third-busiest in the U.S. and fourth in the world for aircraft movements.
DIA passenger traffic is expected to continue growing and could exceed 100 million passengers annually by 2030, according to previous projections from an airport consultant.
The airport has implemented a “Vision 100” strategic plan to accommodate the expected increase in annual passengers. In 2024, that’s already included a new 17-lane security checkpoint and a new airline, Breeze Airways, announcing a new nonstop flight to Rhode Island. Earlier this month, DIA also announced a new nonstop Turkish Airlines flight from Denver to Istanbul.
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