In Episode 15 of the ARC TravelConnect Virtual Series, ARC’s Sara Hetland welcomes Laura L. Jackson, vice president of air services development at Denver International Airport (DEN), to discuss growth during the pandemic and what it will take to reach the goal of serving 100 million passengers annually.

Watch the full video below or use the links to skip ahead to specific parts of their discussion.

  • 2:54 – Jackson discusses procedural changes made by the air service team at the beginning of the pandemic, including utilizing real-time TSA data points that were not previously reviewed in detail.

  • 5:20 – Information about DEN’s partnership with Daon to implement VeriFLY®, a digital health wallet for COVID-19 credentials with the capability to make reservations for designated limited-capacity TSA lines and train cars.

  • 7:05 – Highlights how DEN became Southwest Airlines’ largest station in 2020, and in 2021, the largest operation for two additional carriers: Frontier Airlines and United Airlines.

  • 7:59 – Jackson talks about three remarkable trends DEN experienced during the pandemic. She explains how the airport became the third busiest in the world, the number one airport for TSA throughput and saw a six-point shift up in domestic origination destination (O&D) and connecting passengers.

  • 11:04 – DEN is expected to have the highest passenger levels on record in 2022. Setting their sights even higher, Jackson shares the airport’s strategic growth strategy, Vision 100, to welcome 100 million annual passengers. She goes into detail about concourse expansion plans and upgrading ticket counter experiences to meet the demands of modern-day travelers.

  • 13:18 – Specifics about how the DEN team works with local, state and national organizations as well as foreign consulates and governments to encourage travel to Denver and recruit new airlines, services and routes.

  • 14:41 – Jackson reveals the exciting news that Air France began service to Denver in 2021. This was the first time a SkyTeam Airline Alliance carrier provided transatlantic service to the airport. International travel restrictions during the pandemic caused Air France to pause service but resumed seasonal flights to DEN in May 2022.

  • 16:49 – DEN teams analyze data from countless sources to be the experts on all things Denver. Data points include T-100 segment data, US Department of Transportation (USDOT), ARC’s booking data and many more sources. Jackson shares how DEN utilizes mobile phone movements by various carriers to understand real-time traveler behaviors after they leave the airport.

  • 18:49 – Additional details about what mobile phone data uncovers about international and domestic traveler trends throughout the pandemic.

  • 20:13 – The air services department team likes to market themselves as the airport economist. She shares how they use data and why data analysis is essential for the airport’s success.

  • 21:03 – Discussion about business trends that will make Colorado a destination for companies and retain their highly educated workforce.
  • 22:02 – Updates about business and convention travel in and out of DEN.

  • 23:03 – Information about several exciting DEN initiatives to enhance and advance Denver.