DENVER — A cacophony of problems for travelers Sunday and Monday at Denver International Airport began with baggage issues.
Airport officials tell us it all started Sunday at 6 a.m. with a torn baggage belt on the east side of the Main Terminal.
"DEN teams immediately set to work repairing the broken belt and activating contingency plans," the airport said in an email to 9NEWS Tuesday. "The repair was made quickly, but DEN’s baggage handling system still experienced a gridlock. DEN’s baggage handling experts and Operations staff worked collaboratively with TSA and air carriers throughout the day on mitigation strategies. DEN deployed extra resources (DPD & TSA K9 units as well as City and County of Denver personnel and vehicles) to assist with baggage movement. The system was returned to full and normal operation late Sunday afternoon."
The failure impacted every airline at the airport, DIA said. The airport is still working to determine exactly how many flights were affected. Passengers still looking to retrieve their bags are asked to contact their airline.
Broken bag belts aren't anything new, but DIA said this one was particularly impactful due to the location and volume of baggage being taken in. Problematic belts are normally identified during routine preventative maintenance and are usually repaired or replaced overnight, during periods of low baggage volume, the airport said.
Despite a full return to normal operations by the afternoon, impacts still lingered throughout the day.
Also Sunday, Alaska Airlines and United grounded all of their Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners again while they waited to be told how to inspect the planes to prevent another inflight blowout like the one that damaged an Alaska jet Friday.
Overnight Sunday into Monday, the airport received half an inch of snow. More than 500 flights were delayed and 75 canceled at the airport Monday.
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