Flying out of Denver for Memorial Day weekend? Expect to spend extra hours at the airport with record number of travelers

Denver International Airport is gearing up for a record number of Memorial Day weekend passengers, meaning travelers can expect a busy trip and long waits, airport officials said Tuesday.

Between Thursday and Tuesday, airport officials expect nearly 450,000 passengers to pass through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, according to a news release from DIA. This is a 9% increase from the same holiday travel period last year.

Thursday and Friday alone will each see more than 80,000 travelers moving through TSA screening areas, with additional foot traffic coming in from flight connections inside the airport, DIA officials said.

Airport officials said holiday travelers should arrive inside the airport at least two hours before their scheduled boarding time and should have plans for parking and making it through security checkpoints.

Parking

Parking lots fill up quickly during the holidays and officials encourage flyers to take the Regional Transportation District’s A-Line to the airport.

Those committed to parking on-site should avoid the Pike Peaks lot due to construction and park at the Landslide parking lot — 6975 Valley Head Street.

The Pikes Peak and Longs Peak shuttle parking lots will close on Friday at 3 a.m. and re-open by 5 p.m., according to Tuesday’s release. The Landslide lot will be open for overflow parking at 3 a.m. Friday and will remain open until full.

Regular shuttle service will be available from all parking lots to and from the airport terminal.

TSA Security Checkpoints

DIA’s South Security Checkpoint — located on level five at the south end of the terminal — is open from 3 a.m. to 1 a.m. the next morning and is the primary checkpoint for travelers who need standard screening.

South Security has four TSA PreCheck lanes open from 4 a.m. to 7:45 p.m., but PreCheck passengers traveling after 8 p.m. may use South Security and receive a form of expedited screening, officials said Tuesday.

One CLEAR lane is available for standard screening at the South Security Checkpoint, but passengers with both PreCheck and CLEAR must use the dual-service lane at West Security.

The West Security Checkpoint — located on level six at the northwest corner of the terminal — is open from 4 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is the primary checkpoint for TSA PreCheck travelers.

Passengers with standard screening at this checkpoint should enter through West Security 1, and passengers with reservations for DEN RESERVE should enter at West Security 2.

Finally, A-Bridge Security is open for standard screening between 4:30 a.m. and 5:45 p.m., officials said Tuesday.

The bridge has a limited number of lanes dedicated for travelers requiring standard screening and is not available for TSA PreCheck.

Real-time security wait times and parking availability can be found online at FlyDenver.com.

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