Coordinates: 39°51′42″N 104°40′23″W / 39.86167°N 104.67306°W / 39.86167; -104.67306
Denver International Airport (IATA: DEN , ICAO: KDEN , FAA LID: DEN ), often called DIA , is, by land size at 53 square miles (140 km 2 ), the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport and Montreal-Mirabel International Airport. Runway 16R/34L is the longest public use runway in the United States.
In 2008, Denver International Airport was the tenth busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic with 51,245,334 passengers. It was also the fifth busiest airport in the world by aircraft movements with 625,884 movements.
The airport is located in extreme northeastern Denver, Colorado, and is operated by the City and County of Denver. Denver International Airport is the busiest and largest airport in the United States without non-stop service to and from Asia, although the airport is actively seeking such flights. DIA was voted the 2005 Best Airport in North America by readers of Business Traveler Magazine and was named "America's Best Run Airport" by Time Magazine in 2002.
Airport officials say its large area contributes to it having the highest number of wildlife strikes in the United States (2,090 this decade - although it ranked seventh on basis of takeoffs and landings).
Denver International Airport is the main hub for low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines and commuter carrier Great Lakes Airlines. It is also the second-largest hub for United Airlines (after Chicago's O'Hare International Airport), as well as a focus city for Southwest Airlines. Since commencing service to Denver in January 2006, Southwest has added over 30 destinations, making Denver its fastest-growing market.
Features
Aesthetics
The airport's distinctive white tensile architecture tension fabric roof is aesthetically designed to be reminiscent of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains in winter. Steel cables similar to those on the Brooklyn Bridge support the roof. It is also known for a pedestrian bridge connecting the terminal to Concourse A that allows travelers to view planes taxiing directly underneath and provides sweeping views of the Rocky Mountains to the West and the high plains to the East.
Art
Mustang
Mustang by New Mexico artist Luis Jiménez was one of the earliest public art commissions for Denver International Airport in 1993. Standing at 32 feet tall and weighing 9,000 pounds, "Mustang" is a blue cast-fiberglass sculpture with red shining eyes located between the inbound and outbound lanes of Peña Boulevard. Jiménez died in 2006 while creating the sculpture when a portion of it fell on him and severed an artery in his leg. At the time of his death, Jiménez had completed painting the head of the mustang. The sculpture was completed with the help of the artist's staff, family, and professional race-car painters, Camillo Nuñez and Richard LaVato. Upon completion, the sculpture was assembled and shipped to its final destination from California. "Mustang" was unveiled in its completed form on February 11, 2008.
"Mustang" has received a mixed review from Colorado citizens. Many critics of the sculpture are attempting to have it removed, however the city plans to leave the installation in place for 5 years before making any decisions regarding its future. The controversy over the sculpture has received a great deal of media attention as well with coverage from the local news outlets to The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and The Daily Show. A Facebook group entitled, "DIA's Heinous Blue Mustang Has Got To Go" has been created as a forum to express opinions about the sculpture.
Automated baggage system
The airport's computerized baggage system, which was supposed to reduce flight delays, shorten waiting times at luggage carousels, and save airlines in labor costs, turned into an unmitigated failure. An opening originally scheduled for October 31, 1993 with a single system for all three concourses turned into a February 28, 1995 opening with separate systems for each concourse, with varying degrees of automation.
The system's $186 million in original construction costs grew by $1 million per day during months of modifications and repairs. Incoming flights on the airport's B Concourse made very limited use of the system, and only United, DIA's dominant airline, used it for outgoing flights. The 40-year-old company responsible for the design of the automated system, BAE Automated Systems of Carrollton, Texas, at one time responsible for 90% of the baggage systems in the U.S., was acquired in 2002 by G&T Conveyor Company, Inc.
The automated baggage system never worked well, and in August 2005, it became public knowledge that United would abandon the system, a decision that would save them $1 million per month in maintenance costs.
Solar energy system
In February 2008, construction of an on-site, two-megawatt solar energy system began. The single-axis tracking system should provide 3.5 million kilowatt-hours of energy per year and spare the environment of more than five million pounds of carbon emissions annually. The system will generate the equivalent of half the energy needs for the underground trains that move people between concourses. The $13 million-plus system sits on 7.5 acres (30,000 m 2 ), clearly visible to people entering and exiting the airport. WorldWater & Solar Technologies Corp. designed and is constructing the system, while MMA Renewable Ventures LLC - rather than DIA - will own it and sell its energy to the airport.
Telecommunications
DIA has public Wi-Fi access available throughout the airport as of late 2007. Although the service is marketed as being free, it is ad-supported through an advertising-filled HTML frame that is inserted into the top of the browser window. Users of the Wi-Fi network are also required to view a 30-second advertising video in the browser before Internet access is granted, although in many cases a click-through button is provided to avoid viewing the ad. The network is managed by FreeFi Networks, a Los Angeles-based firm.. T-Mobile HotSpot service is available in the airport lounges run by United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines .The airport has pay-per-use kiosks which can be used to access the Internet and to play video games. The current stations were developed by Zoox Stations and were installed in 2007.
Geography
The airport is 25 miles (40 km) from downtown Denver, which is 19 miles (31 km) farther away than Stapleton International Airport, the airport it replaced. The distant location was chosen to avoid noise impacts to developed areas, to accommodate a generous runway layout that would not be compromised by winter storms, and to allow for future expansion. The 33,000 acres (52 sq mi; 130 km 2 ) of land occupied by the airport is nearly twice the land area of Manhattan. The land was transferred from Adams County to Denver after a 1989 vote, increasing the city's size by 50 percent. However, much of the city of Aurora is actually closer to the airport than the developed portions of Denver, and all freeway traffic accessing the airport from central Denver passes through Aurora.
History
In September 1989, under the leadership of Denver Mayor Federico Peña (after whom Peña Boulevard is named for), federal officials authorized the outlay of the first $60 million for the construction of DIA. Two years later, Mayor Wellington Webb inherited the megaproject, scheduled to open on October 29, 1993.
Delays caused by poor planning and repeated design changes due to changing requirements from United Airlines caused Mayor Webb to push opening day back, first to December 1993, then to March 1994. By September 1993, delays due to a millwright strike and other events meant opening day was pushed back again, to May 15, 1994.
In April 1994, the city invited reporters to observe the first test of the new automated baggage system. Reporters were treated to scenes of clothing and other personal effects scattered beneath the system's tracks, while the actuators that moved luggage from belt to belt would often toss the luggage right off the system instead. The mayor cancelled the planned May 15 opening. The baggage system continued to be a maintenance hassle and was finally terminated in September 2005 , with traditional baggage handlers manually handling cargo and passenger luggage.
On September 25, 1994, the airport hosted a fly-in that drew several hundred general aviation aircraft, providing pilots with a unique opportunity to operat
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