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Southwest marks 20 years of growth at Denver International Airport
ColoradoBiz Staff //June 26, 2026//
Photo courtesy of DIA and Southwest Airlines.
Photo courtesy of DIA and Southwest Airlines.
Southwest marks 20 years of growth at Denver International Airport
ColoradoBiz Staff //June 26, 2026//
In Brief:
- Southwest Airlines marks 20 years at Denver International Airport
- Southwest carries more than 29% of DEN passengers in 2025
- Southwest operates 243 daily departures to 96 destinations
- Southwest employs over 6,500 people in Colorado
DENVER — Southwest Airlines and Denver International Airport marked 20 years of service in Colorado on June 26, celebrating an operation that has carried more than 290 million passengers on nearly 2.4 million flights since launching at the airport in 2006.
Southwest is DEN’s second-largest carrier, accounting for more than 29% of passengers in 2025.
The airline began service at Denver on Jan. 3, 2006, with flights to Chicago Midway, Las Vegas and Phoenix and an average of 13 daily departures. It now operates an average of 243 daily departures to 96 destinations, including 90 destinations in 39 U.S. states, three in Mexico, two in Costa Rica and one in Belize.
This spring, Southwest added service from Denver to Knoxville, Santa Rosa, Anchorage and Destin-Fort Walton Beach. Service to West Palm Beach is scheduled to begin in November.
“Congratulations to Southwest Airlines on this significant milestone,” Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington said. “Southwest has been an essential part of DEN’s upward journey, helping us serve travelers and foster connections across the Americas.”
Denver is Southwest’s fastest-growing airport operation. The airline employs more than 6,500 people in Colorado, leases 40 gates on Concourse C and invested more than $1.5 million in Colorado community organizations in 2025.
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