Sometimes an airport can remain pretty stable for several years in a row. Not big changes in terms of carriers, construction or even restaurants. And then, all of a sudden, BOOM, it feels like everything is happening at the same time.
Such is the case for Denver International Airport, which will be going through a variety of changes over the next few months. Some really won’t affect passengers’ day-to-day but many definitely will:
TSA reservation system
Since June of 2023, DEN has partnered with CLEAR to offer passengers DEN Reserve, a free service that’s allowed passengers to reserve dedicated time slot to go through the TSA security area.
The program has been deemed a 100% success, which is very good news. But there’s even better news for DEN – wait times at the new security checkpoints at the East and West terminals are down to around five minutes. That efficiency has essentially made DEN Reserve obsolete. So its final day of service will be Saturday, June 27.
The airport said reservations that have already been booked are still being honored and new reservations are still being accepted through June 27.
Triple escalator closed for 10 months
Effective June 8, the triple escalator in DEN’s Great Hall, which takes travelers from security down to the train platform, closed for construction. Airport officials said the closure is expected to last until March or April 2027.
“Construction begins tonight on our triple escalator lid,” DIA shared on social media on June 8th. “It’s part of the completion phase of our Great Hall program.”
For now, travelers must use the double escalator, stairs or elevators to access the train from security. Airport officials said the triple escalator will remain closed until April 2027.
Contour seasonal flights are returning
Contour Airlines is also bringing back seasonal service between Taos, New Mexico and DEN, with flights operating three times weekly on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays.
New shops, dining and concessions
By the end of DEN’s “Great Hall” work, the airport’s passengers will have the opportunity to experience a 20% increase in new shopping, dining, and quick-food concessions.
Shopping and food outlets will increase from 200 to 240, as part of the airport’s shift to maximize non-aeronautical revenue by getting travelers to spend more.
No new tenants have yet been announced, however Denver city councilman Kevin Flynn said increased food concessions will meet travelers’ needs. “I would not want to go to an airport where my only choice is McDonald’s or Chick-fil-A.” So we know what WON’T be there. 😉
Mysterious underground tunnels will open to the public
We saved the best for last.
DEN has always been THE airport when it comes to conspiracy theories. You know, like:
- The runway shape (some people say it looks like a swastika).
- The “marking” on its floor that some people interpreted as the symbol of a new strain of hepatitis that could be used for biological warfare (I kid you not).
- The dedication marker with the Freemasons symbol and a mention of the “New World Airport Commission” (an entity that doesn’t exist. It’s been said that was purposely done to mess with the conspiracy theorists LOL!).
- Really weird art that’s been called, “alien languages, soldiers in gas masks oppressing peasants, and Freemasons plaques”
- Blue Mustang, the cast-fiberglass sculpture located at the airport. Nicknamed Blucifer, he’s standing on his two back legs, colored bright blue and illuminated with glowing red eyes.
But if the conspiracy theorists are going to have a tin foil hat party over anything, it’s the abandoned tunnels and underground bunker beneath the airport that *might* have been intended as the headquarters for “something” – the Illuminati? New World Order? Neo-Nazis? Reptoids? Who knows?
Anyway, late last month, the airport announced plans to repurpose portions of its underground baggage tunnels for the construction of new pedestrian walkways between concourses. Construction on the project will begin in 2027 and will cost $300-$700 million – all of it paid via airport revenue.
Taken individually, none of these changes would be particularly remarkable.
An airline adds a seasonal route. An escalator closes for repairs. A security program comes to an end. Airports deal with those sorts of things all the time.
What’s unusual is how many significant changes are happening at DEN all at once.
Some, like the closure of DEN Reserve, are signs that the airport’s recent investments are paying off. Others, such as the Great Hall upgrades and additional concessions, are aimed at improving the passenger experience while generating additional revenue.
And then there are the tunnels.
For decades, Denver International Airport has been catnip for conspiracy theorists, amateur detectives, and anyone who enjoys a good urban legend. So the decision to eventually open portions of its mysterious underground infrastructure to the public may end up being the most talked-about change of them all.
Whether you’re interested in shorter security lines, more dining options, or finally getting a glimpse beneath one of America’s most famously weird airports, the next few years should be interesting.
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