DIA edges LAX as 4th busiest in US

[comoneymaker]

By Chris Walsh, Rocky Mountain News
September 13, 2007
Denver International Airport edged past its counterpart in Los Angeles to rank as the nation's fourth-busiest airport during the first sixth months of the year, a testament to its continuing growth.
DIA recorded 11.65 million plane boardings from January through June, a 4.4 percent spike compared with the same period in 2006, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistic. That was just 10,000 more than Los Angeles International Airport handled.

Denver's airport has grown rapidly in recent years, fueled by additional flights from Frontier Airlines and relative newcomer Southwest Airlines. The growth pace has slowed this year, but DIA continues to post solid gains.

Atlanta International Airport ranked as the nation's busiest, with nearly 21 million passengers during the first half of the year. Chicago O'Hare and Dallas-Fort Worth ranked second and third, respectively.

The federal data, released today, also show that passenger traffic nationwide is up 2.7 percent.

Southwest Airlines wrestled away the No. 1 spot from American Airlines to become the largest airline based on the number of passengers carried. United Airlines, Denver's largest carrier, ranked fourth.