Denver International Airport has been awarded another $26.6 million in federal funding to fuel ongoing work to update the ultra-busy facility’s baggage handling system.
U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette announced the latest round of grant funding for baggage system upgrades — work that’s part of a $500 million contract at DIA — in a news release Thursday morning. The Denver Democrat touted the benefits an updated baggage system is expected to bring to the airport, including faster processing times and more efficient energy use.
“With these investments, DEN will continue to serve as a cornerstone of our region’s economic prosperity and connectivity,” DeGette said.
It is the third round of funding DIA has secured through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Airport Terminals Program, established under President Joe Biden’s 2021 infrastructure bill. The airport received $60 million in 2022 and another $22 million last year to help pay for the work.
DIA is updating the systems that move checked baggage around the terminal for security screening and eventual collection from baggage claim carousels.
More than 77.8 million passengers traveled through DIA in 2023 when including those catching connecting flights, airport officials announced last month. It was DIA’s busiest year to date.
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Projections suggest DIA will need infrastructure to support 100 million passengers per year by 2032, according to spokeswoman Stephanie Figueroa.
Replacing “aging, unserviceable and unreliable equipment” with more modern and dependable baggage handling technologies is a key part of accommodating that growth, Figueroa said in an email.
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