DENVER — Even as Denver International Airport (DIA) boasted a record number of passengers used the airport in June, records obtained by 9NEWS showed security lines got so long that Southwest Airlines complained that it was forced to delay flights.
DIA said this week a record-shattering 6.7 million people transited the airport in June – beating the previous record by more than 35,000 passengers. The airport served so many passengers, its security lines occasionally stretched beyond the checkpoints and through the baggage claim area.
The airport declared 20 "terminal events" in June, indicating lines were extending past the checkpoint areas – more than any other U.S. airport, according to records obtained by 9NEWS through an open records request.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said the airport is overstaffed beyond its allocated staffing amount. A DIA spokesperson said the existing airport infrastructure cannot handle the number of passengers flying through it.
"We’re doing everything we can," said DIA spokesperson Stephanie Figueroa. "Unfortunately, it’s no longer working, and we know and that we’re working on it."
In early June, the Southwest Airlines ground operations director at DIA complained in an email that unusually long security lines caused the airline to delay a handful of flights and "has caused 100s [sic] of customers to miss their early morning departures."
In response, TSA said it would open all south checkpoint lanes by 4 a.m.; however, long lines continued, including to the present day, when a reporter observed travelers waiting in the baggage claim area to clear the airport's south security checkpoint.
"Everything is running as smooth as it can," Figueroa said. "The airport wasn't built to withstand as many passengers as we're seeing."
The airport is building new security lanes, set to open early next year. Figueroa said the airport hopes its existing plans to increase security infrastructure is enough to handle crowds of passengers. Traffic at the airport is projected to increase to more than 100 million as soon as 2028.
"We're constantly evaluating these things," she said. "Just know it's not forever. We are working on this, and there will be relief in the future."
She said the airport already has added additional pre-check lanes to the south screening checkpoint. It also launched its DEN Reserve program in June, allowing a limited number of passengers to register for a spot in line at the airport's Bridge checkpoint.
> Video below: You can reserve a spot in the DIA security line for free:
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