Denver Airport Expects $2 Billion Terminal Rebuild To Finish Early

Denver International Airport (DEN) has outlined details of the third and final phase of its $2 billion terminal reconstruction project, which management now expects to be completed in 2027 instead of 2028 as previously planned.

DEN opened in 1995 and its one passenger terminal—the Jeppesen Terminal—was built to accommodate 50 million annual passengers. But the airport handled more than 82 million passengers in 2024 and anticipates reaching “100 million [annual] passengers in the near future.”

The first two phases of the project totaled $770 million with the second phase completed last year. According to the airport, the first two phases “focused on building a new ticketing/check-in space for some of our airlines, as well as one new security checkpoint.” The final phase, estimated to cost around $1.3 billion, “will complete the full build-out of the Jeppesen Terminal, bringing it up-to-speed for future growth and critical infrastructure needs,” DEN said.

With many modern airport terminal projects focused on creating high-end concessions spaces, DEN emphasized that “the project is not focused on retail and will not be a mall; rather the project will improve operations and passenger flow.”

The final phase of the project will include building an area known as the “Global Gateway,” which will be “where international passengers arrive and connect through Denver to easily transfer back through security for a flight to other cities,” DEN said. “Eight new security lanes will be added … to provide a seamless experience for international travelers connecting through DEN and to provide additional capacity for increasing passenger volumes.”

Also included will be a “Welcome Home Colorado” space, which will be “where domestic travelers arrive and are greeted by their awaiting friends and family. The area will have ample seating and a large flight information board … [and] be spacious and bright with new lighting.”

Another component of the final project phase is the “Living Room,” which the airport describes as “a high-energy space filled with a variety of comfortable seating options and tables as well as numerous dining options.” It will also include four security lanes dedicated to passengers arriving to DEN via rail.

Upgrades to airline check-in facilities will also be part of the project.

DEN is a hub for United Airlines, which had a leading 47.3% passenger market share at the airport in 2024. Southwest Airlines operated 31% of the airport’s passenger traffic last year. Denver-based ULCC Frontier Airlines took third in 2024 market share at 10.1%. Overall, DEN handled a record 82.4 million passengers in 2024, up 5.8% year-over-year.