Meet The Winners: Denver International Airport

Speaking in Nassau & Paradise Island during Routes Americas 2025, Denver International Airport shared latest success stories and what it meant to receive two Routes Awards, including Overall Winner.

Denver International Airport (DEN), the third busies airport in the U.S. enjoyed a record 2024, welcoming more than 80 million passengers and expanding its airline partnerships to 27 carriers.

The airport’s newest airline partners played a key role in its success, including the launch of its longest-ever route to iGA Istanbul Airport with Turkish Airlines. Additional new international services in 2024 included Viva’s flights to Monterrey, Mexico, Aer Lingus’ launch of its Dublin service, and Breeze Airways’ new route to Providence.

In 2025, DEN will connect to 225 destinations worldwide and welcome a new airline partner, Contour Airlines, which will operate daily services to Moab and Vernal, Utah. United Airlines is also expanding its network from DEN, adding new routes to Rome Fiumicino Airport in Italy, Bert Mooney Airport in Montana, Trois-Rivières Airport in Canada, Redding Regional Airport in California, and Wilmington International Airport in North Carolina.

DEN attributes its success to collaborative engagement with airlines, tailoring strategies to meet carrier-specific needs and ensuring that existing routes remain profitable and sustainable. The airport’s incentive program has further strengthened confidence among its airline partners, supporting new routes and frequency expansions.

Looking ahead, DEN is actively seeking growth in Asia, where it is currently only connected via Tokyo, as well as exploring new services to South America while continuing to expand its domestic network.

Speaking about the Routes Awards win, Laura Jackson, vice president of air service development at DEN, said: “We were surprised and it’s so nice to be recognized by our peers and the airlines. To be awarded this was really exciting for our team.”

She added: “The event has been great, all the logistics have been seamless, and everyone has been so welcoming and friendly—it’s definitely one of my favorite Routes Americas.”