Denver's Airport Offers Summer Travel Tips
Just in time for thousands of safety professionals' arrival to attend the Safey 2017 conference next week, the city's airport offers travelers tips for surviving its busiest season.
ASSE's Safety 2017 conference and expo in Denver next week will set a new record for attendance, and it's taking place during the busiest season for Denver International Airport, which offered tips June 1 to help passengers have a smooth traveling experience. The airport has experienced 19 consecutive months of record-setting passenger traffic and expects to be busiest during the summer.
(This won't affect Safety 2017 travelers, but Denver International Airport officials and the city of Denver are completing negotiations on a more than $650 million project to renovate the airport's terminal, Engineering News-Record's Mark Shaw reported June 14. The renovation will be the largest public-private partnership in Denver's history and will be done by Great Hall Partners, a consortium headed by Madrid-based Ferrovial Airports, he reported.)
DIA's preliminary estimates indicate many new records for passenger traffic will be set this summer: "Overall, the period of June through August is expected to be about 7 percent busier than last year, with peak travel expected from late June to late July. Last summer, DEN saw an average of 175,000 passengers per day. This year, those numbers are projected to increase to about 187,000 passengers per day. July is expected to set a new record for the busiest month ever at the airport – topping the previous record of 5.47 million passengers who traveled through DEN in July 2016," it reported. "The airport projects the busiest times at the TSA screening checkpoints will generally be from about 5-10 a.m., and from 1-4 p.m. Passengers are encouraged to arrive early."
ASSE's biggest event will contribute to the numbers, with a new high for attendees in the event's 56-year history sure to be reached. ASSE's Safety 2017 Professional Development Conference & Exposition is set for June 19-22 at the Colorado Convention Center with attendee registrations up to 4,730 as of June 1 and the society saying the event may top 5,000 attendees. (The previous record was in 2011 in Chicago, 4,535 participants, during the society's 100th anniversary). And this year's registered exhibitors were up to 640, surpassing the previous record of 615.
"We couldn't be happier about how everything is coming together for a fantastic week for workplace safety and health professionals from around the world," said David Natalizia, who chairs the ASSE Professional Development Conference Planning Committee. "I think the main ingredient to our success is that our society remains extremely relevant and valuable to our members, who are enthusiastic about growing personally and professionally.They're committed to absorbing as much knowledge as possible to help their companies better protect workers in every industry."
The airport's tips for travelers include:
- Petting a therapy dog: The airport's Canine Airport Therapy Squad "will be roaming the concourses all year long for passengers to pet, take a photo with and help relax before a flight. The CATS team is so popular that it has grown to include 71 certified therapy dogs from 35 breeds, along with their volunteer handlers. Look for their schedules daily on Twitter @DENairport."
- Shopping: The airport has more than 99 shops in the Jeppesen Terminal and along all three concourses.
- Relaxing: "Airport travel can be stressful, but it's hard not to smile when you are getting a massage or relaxing in a lounge. DEN offers massage services, shoe shining stands, spa services and is home to airline clubs for United, American, Delta, British Airways, and the USO."
- Fly Away Fridays: "'Fly Away Fridays' will feature a new series of free events from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Friday from June 2 through the end of August. The events include live DJs, a broadcast of the U.S. Open, caricature artists, musicians, giant board games, and more. Events will take place on the airport’s open-air plaza or inside the Great Hall of the Jeppesen Terminal."
- Blazing-fast Wi-Fi: The airport offers "super-fast and totally free Wi-Fi throughout the facility. In fact, DEN's Wi-Fi has been named the fastest of any U.S. airport by independent testers. So, passengers can log on with laptops or mobile devices with enough speed to download movies and music, work on the go or stream HD video. Did we mention it's free?"
- Exploring public art: "DEN has a large collection of public art that passengers can explore before a flight or during a long layover. Information about the entire collection, including the airport's temporary exhibits and permanent collection, is available online and on mobile devices by visiting www.FlyDenver.com/Art"
Denver International Airport is the 19th-busiest airport in the world and the sixth-busiest airport in the United States.