AIRPORT REVIEW
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6 The introduction of Transportation Security Administration screening forced the airport to insert security checkpoints in cramped spaces unequipped to handle the influx of passengers , thus slowing processing , creating longer lines , hindering the airport ’ s reputation .
7 United has over 400 flights taking off and landing daily , for just over 46 % of DEN ’ s market share . Over the next couple of years , it plans to increase its flight schedule out of Denver by 50 % to around 700 departures .
The long lines for TSA screening have long been a drag on Denver Airport ’ s passenger experience . In 2018 , Denver ranked 18th out of 20 major US airports , with an average wait time of over eight minutes .
So , when Denver looked at renovating its main terminal , it enlisted the help of the TSA early on in the process and worked with it to design a new , advanced screening checkpoint from scratch .
Mandatory screening of all passengers by the TSA , of course , was brought in in response to the terror attacks of September 11 , 2001 . Airports across the US , including Denver , had to insert more extensive checkpoints into cramped spaces planned and constructed for less rigorous screening operations . The result was slower processing and longer lines . At DEN , for instance , the North security checkpoint is located in what had initially been designed to be an international arrivals hall .
Denver has three security checkpoints : the North , South , and A-Bridge ones . Travelers have to go down one level from airline check-in to a massive site where the two main screening areas , the North and South ones , are located . The view from above is almost as daunting as the escalator ride , looking down into a swarm of passengers awaiting security screening .
Instead of replicating the 2002 design , Denver Airport introduced the Great Hall Project , featuring the security checkpoint of the future .
THE GREAT HALL PROJECT
In July 2018 , the airport began the project with Spanish firm Ferrovial . However , it terminated the original contract in late 2019 because of controversies , delays , and cost overruns ; it cost the airport US $ 184 million to end that pact . Following this , airport officials expedited the procurement process to hire Hensel Phelps Construction Co . as the contractor for the re-envisioned three-phase construction project , which resumed in early 2020 .
Phase 1 included the addition of new ticketing areas in the center of Level 6 for Denver ’ s dominant airlines : United , Southwest , and Frontier . Along with updating the 158,500sq ft ( 14,725m 2 ) of the existing footprint , Phase 1 added 31,000sq ft ( 2,880m 2 ) to Levels 5 and 6 of the Jeppesen Terminal . Lastly , Phase
26 AIRWAYS MAGAZINE MARCH 2024 www . airwaysmag . com