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Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 11/96 DENVERS NEW AIRPORT HAS ITS PROBLEMS by Heiko Reuter Jim DeLong is proud of his airport. Not only is he managing the largest airport in the world: The new Denver International Airport (DIA) is the only airport where three aircraft can simultaneously land under IFR conditions. DIA has five runways and lots of space. Delays are rare, airport head DeLong stated to a delegation of the German Aerospace Press Club that recently visited DIA. However, DIA, which has been in operation now for 20 months, is making headlines of a different kind. The $ 200 million automatic luggage transport system is still not working. Worse, the mega-airport on the prairie is not attracting enough business, the number of passengers is decreasing. 31,04 million passengers were handled at DIA in 1995. In 1994, when the old airport in Stapleton was still in operation, this figure was up at 33,1 million. According to an evaluation by the Airport Councils International, DIA slipped from eighth to tenth rank on the list of the world's most frequented airports. The airport management is busy trying to promote the Denver region as a promising Mecca of business and leisure-time. Still, new airlines are missing. Although the two-million city at the bottom of the Rocky Mountains is served by all major US airlines, the airport is the destination of only 17 carriers with a regular airline service. There is an obvious lack of international connections. Air Canada and Mexicana Airlines are the only two non-US airline carriers that were acquired by the airport. Almost 70 percent of the daily 1350 flights are conducted by United Airlines. Whoever wants to fly from DIA to Europe or Asia must connect through Chicago or Los Angeles. There is only one non-stop intercontinental service: Once a week the Dutch charter carrier Martinair is serving the route Denver-Amsterdam - and only during the skiing season. Since DIA has an elevation of 1600 meters above sea level, it is a difficult task to economically operate an intercontinental service with large aircraft from the airport. Outside temperature above 30 degrees centigrade are critical for a Boeing 747 at maximum take-off weight: Since the take-off performance is significantly degraded with higher altitudes and hotter temperatures, the large-capacity airliner would not be able to take off on either of the 3,7 kilometer runways. According to insiders, this is the case on 200 days of the year. Only a longer runway would solve the problem. The work for runway number six is in progress. However, it will not be finished until 1998. High airport fees are supposedly the main reason for DIA's sluggish start. The small Colorado Springs Airport, located 60 miles south of Denver, seems to be profiting from this situation. It registered an increase in passengers of 140 percent in 1995. From page 25 of FLUG REVUE 11/96 Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 11/96 Copyright 1996 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved. Last updated October 20, 1996