Denver International's Top Routes: A Comprehensive Analysis

Denver International Airport (DEN), a key hub in Colorado's aviation landscape, showcases a dynamic range of busy routes, with variations in demand reflected through different metrics. The 2024 data from Cirium reveals fascinating insights into which airlines and routes dominate this bustling airport, based on flights, seats, and available seat miles (ASMs).

Southwest Leads in Flight Frequency

Southwest Airlines emerges as the champion in terms of flight frequency, operating the most flights from Denver to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). With 3,955 departures scheduled for 2024, this route alone represents 1.27% of Denver International's total annual departures, averaging nearly 11 flights per day. Southwest's significant presence is complemented by competition from American, Frontier, and United Airlines, with United trailing closely in terms of flight numbers.

United Airlines: The Giant in Seat Capacity

United Airlines, boasting the largest footprint at Denver International with a 46.7% market share, dominates the airport's busiest routes by seat capacity. Its route to Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is notable, but the crown goes to the Denver-Chicago O’Hare route. This corridor is set to offer 761,090 seats across 3,588 flights in 2024, outpacing other routes in seat capacity. United faces competition from American, Frontier, and Southwest on this high-demand route.

ASM Dominance: United's Newark Route

When assessing routes based on available seat miles, a metric that factors in both the number of seats and the distance of the route, United's Denver to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) route stands out. This route leads with 890,335,230 ASMs, significantly outperforming its closest competitor by nearly 200 million ASMs. This highlights the importance of long-haul routes in quantifying demand and capacity at Denver International.