Frequently Asked Questions : Research Center

  What is Denver International Airport’s FAA airport designation code?

DEN

  What is the Elrey Jeppesen Terminal roof made out of?

Teflon-coated fiberglass. The roof actually consists of two translucent layers of Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric independently supported by cables held in tension. Together, the two roof layers comprise 375,000 square feet of material. Thirty-four masts support the roof, and at its highest point, the roof is 126 feet above the terminal floor.

  Who was Elrey B. Jeppesen?

Elrey B. Jeppesen was an aviation pioneer who began flying aircraft during the barnstorming era. When he piloted air mail routes, no aeronautical charts were available, and when weather was bad and visibility poor, the lack of navigational aids or charts made flying dangerous. Many pilots delayed their flights or landed until the weather passed, if they could find a patch of level ground. Flyers who dared to be aloft during marginal weather risked their lives.

To make flying safer, especially when the elements limited a pilot’s ability to follow a known flight path or to see hazards, and to give pilots more information about possible landing spots to sit out storms, Jeppesen began to make navigational notations in a black pocket-sized loose-leaf notebook. According to the Jeppesen company’s The Elrey B. Jeppesen Story, Captain Jepp “recorded field lengths, slopes, drainage patterns, and information on lights and obstacles. He also included drawings that profiled terrain and airport layouts, and noted phone numbers of local farmers who could provide weather reports. On his days off, Jepp climbed hills, smokestacks, and water towers, using an altimeter to record accurate elevations.”

When other pilots heard about his notebook, they wanted copies. Even when Jepp was a pilot for United Airlines, and pilots had company charts, they preferred his. United started using Jepp’s charts and, eventually, what began as inchoate charting evolved into a global business that now publishes sophisticated aeronautical maps, airport layouts and other navigational information. Today pilots all over the world use Jeppesen Airway Manuals, which are published in Englewood, Colo., where Jeppesen located his business and where the business, now owned by Boeing, continues to thrive today.

In February 1991, Denver City Council officially named the city’s new airport terminal for Jepp. A Rocky Mountain News editorial said, “There may be others whose flying deeds and endowments make them comparably strong candidates for airport naming—but you could probably count them on a sloth’s foot.” The editorial concluded by saying that naming DIA’s terminal after Jepp would correct the deficiency of people outside of aviation circles not knowing about him. The terminal honor would “close the gap between legacy and legend,” the editorial said. It would close the gap “between huge modern airliners that trust to Jepp charts and the days when you could feel the wind on your face.

Jepp was the first passenger to arrive when DIA opened on Feb. 28, 1995. He died less than two years later, in November 1996.

Denver firm Fentress Bradburn Architects Ltd.

  How many runways does the airport have?

Currently, six. At full build-out, 12

Based on passenger volume, DIA was the 11th-busiest airport in the world in 2007.

  How many airline gates does the airport have?

95

  How many scheduled commercial passenger flights did DIA average per day in 2007?

1,700

  How many passengers did DIA average per day in 2007?

136,612

  Do local tax dollars support the airport?

No. Denver International Airport does not receive its operating revenues from local tax dollars. DIA generates revenue in several ways:

1. Airline landing fees
2. Facility rentals
3. Airport parking
4. Rental cars
5. Concessions (food and beverage, retail, services)
6. Aviation Fuel Tax

  What international destinations can a traveler reach on a nonstop flight from Denver?

  What commercial passenger airlines operate at DIA?

  Can DIA accommodate future jumbo aircraft, such as the A380?

Yes. Should any domestic carrier buy an Airbus 380 aircraft or should Lufthansa or another foreign carrier decide to use A-380s on a Denver route, DIA would be able to handle the giant plane with only modest modifications to existing facilities. The airport’s new sixth runway is long enough and wide enough for the A-380. DIA would have to upgrade taxiways on the west side of the terminal and between Concourses A and B.

Two of DIA’s international gates currently have double jet bridges that could simultaneously unload passengers on the A-380’s first level. If both upper and lower aircraft levels need to be unloaded at the same time, DIA could modify one of the bridges to give it an elevating capacity. Minor construction would be needed to create sterile passageways for both levels of disembarking passengers as they walk to Customs and Immigration. Customs facilities may need to be upgraded to handle a larger passenger influx.

While Denver International Airport will be able to handle the A-380 with relatively minor improvements, the airport may not see the aircraft for some time. It is more likely that DIA will have the new Boeing 787 “Dreamliner” operating international routes.

Los Angeles

  What is the percentage of passengers who fly into DIA that connect to other flights?

43 percent in 2007