Denver International Airport Statistics 2024

Page last updated: 7 August 2025

Denver International Airport (DEN) is the third‑busiest airport in the United States and the sixth‑busiest worldwide. In 2024 it handled more than 82 million travelers, serving as a critical hub for both domestic and international flights throughout the western United States.

Overview

How many passengers pass through Denver International Airport each year?

Denver International Airport handled over 80 million passengers in 2024, setting a new record and maintaining its position among the world’s busiest airports.

82.4 million passengers in 2024, a 5.9% increase from 2023.
Pre‑pandemic levels were surpassed in 2022 with 69.3 million passengers, edging past 2019’s 69.0 million.
Passenger volume fell to 33.7 million in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, then rebounded to 58.8 million in 2021 and 77.8 million in 2023.

International vs Domestic Passengers

DEN remains primarily a domestic airport, but international traffic is growing quickly.

Domestic passengers: 77.8 million in 2024 (94.4% of the total).
International passengers: 4.6 million in 2024 (5.6% of the total), up 15% from 2023.

Inbound vs Outbound Passengers

DEN demonstrates a relatively balanced flow of inbound and outbound traffic, reflecting its dual role as both a destination airport and a major connecting hub.

Domestic inbound passengers reached 38.89 million in 2024, slightly surpassing the 38.83 million domestic outbound passengers.
International inbound passengers totaled 2.33 million, narrowly exceeding the 2.32 million international outbound passengers.
Compared to 2023, all categories showed a modest increase, indicating overall growth in both domestic and international passenger movement.

Passenger Flow: Inbound vs Outbound

	2023	2024
Domestic Inbound	36.9 M	38.9 M
Domestic Outbound	36.9 M	38.8 M
International Inbound	2.0 M	2.3 M
International Outbound	2.0 M	2.3 M

What is the total number of aircraft operations at Denver International Airport each year?

Denver recorded 694,900 take‑offs and landings in 2024, ranking fourth worldwide for aircraft movements.

2024 operations rose 4.9% from 662,010 in 2023.
Operations dropped to 442,571 in 2020, then climbed to 593,916 in 2021 and 615,733 in 2022.

Aircraft Operations by Type

Most operations at Denver International Airport were carried out by air carriers, totaling 609,341 movements.
Additionally, air taxi operations made up 82,128 movements, while general aviation contributed 3,262 and military flights accounted for 169 operations.

Aircraft Operations at Denver International Airport by Type (2022-24)

Type	2022	2023	2024
Air Carrier	510,345	579,760	609,341
Air Taxi	101,753	78,812	82,128
General Aviation	3,466	3,289	3,262
Military	169	149	169

Which airlines operate the most flights out of Denver International Airport?

Two carriers dominate DEN and together carry more than three‑quarters of all passengers.

United Airlines: 38.9 million passengers, 47.3% market share (2024).
Southwest Airlines: 25.6 million passengers, 31.0% market share.
Frontier Airlines: 8.3 million passengers, 10.1% market share.
More than 20 other carriers, including Delta and America, share the remaining 11.6%.

Airlines at Denver International Airport by Passenger Volume (2022-24)

Airline	2022	2023	2024
United	32.1 M	36.4 M	38.9 M
Southwest	21.2 M	24.0 M	25.6 M
Frontier	6.8 M	7.5 M	8.3 M
Delta	3.4 M	3.7 M	3.6 M
American	2.7 M	2.7 M	2.8 M
Other	3.1 M	3.5 M	3.1 M

Denver Travel Resources

Passenger Traffic Trends at Denver International Airport

Passenger numbers show clear seasonality. Traffic builds early in the year, peaks in mid‑summer, and tapers toward year‑end.

July 2024 was the busiest month with 7.89 million passengers, followed by June (7.61 million) and May (7.26 million).
January and February 2024 were the quietest months with 5.76 million and 5.84 million passengers, respectively.
Ten of the twelve months in 2024 set individual records for that month.

How much cargo does Denver International Airport handle annually?

Cargo tonnage has grown steadily over the past decade.

519 million lb in 2014, growing to 585 million lb in 2017.
Minimal impact from the pandemic: 667 million lb in 2020 (down 1.6%).
Record 725 million lb in 2022.
New high of 732 million lb in 2024, up 7.4% from 2023.

Delays and Cancellations at Denver International Airport

On‑time departures: 76% in 2024 (19th among major U.S. airports); up from 72% in 2023.
On‑time arrivals: 80% in 2024; up from 77% in 2023 (10th nationwide).
Cancellations: 1.13% of flights in 2024, down from 1.39%.
Average delays: departures 62.45 minutes (60.75 minutes in 2023); arrivals 71.48 minutes (69.69 minutes in 2023).

What is the total annual operating revenue generated at Denver International Airport?

Denver International Airport crossed the $1 billion mark in annual operating revenue in 2023 and 2024, setting a new record in the airport’s financial history.

Denver International Airport generated a total operating revenue of $1.18 billion in 2024, reflecting continued growth from $1.02 billion in 2023 and $930.2 million in 2022.
The upward trend followed a recovery from the pandemic-impacted years, with $716.4 million in 2021 and $591.8 million in 2020.
Prior to the pandemic, the airport had earned $867.8 million in 2019.

Incidents at Denver International Airport

February 16, 2007: Twenty‑six windshield failures on 14 aircraft, attributed to foreign object damage from sand during strong winds.
December 20, 2008: Continental Flight 1404 veered off Runway 34R and caught fire; 38 injuries, no fatalities.
April 3, 2012: ExpressJet Flight 5912 struck approach lights on landing; smoke led to evacuation, one hospitalization.
February 20, 2021: United Flight 328 returned after engine damage; debris fell over Broomfield, but the aircraft landed safely and no injuries were reported.

Additional facts

DEN covers 53 square miles (34,000 acres), making it the largest airport in North America by land area.
The “Vision 100” expansion plan aims to prepare the airport to serve 100 million passengers annually by 2027.
In traffic rankings, DEN is third in the United States, sixth worldwide, and fourth worldwide for aircraft operations.

Other US Airport Statistics

America & USA Travel Statistics Resources

References

FD: Passenger and Revenue data of Denver International Airport
DT: International Destination of Passenger from Denver International Airport
BTS: Top Domestic Destination of Passenger from Denver International Airport and On-Time Performance Summary
NTSB: Denver International Airport Incident Information

Denver International Airport Statistics