8 things you should know about the new security checkpoint at DIA
Here’s why your next visit to Denver International Airport might go a little more smoothly.
Denver International Airport, third-busiest in the world, is seeing more air travelers every year.
In 2022, the airport served more than 69 million passengers. In June alone, the airport had to deal with more than 6.7 million, placing an enormous strain on its infrastructure. Which is why aviation-industry experts say the long-awaited launch of the new West Security Checkpoint, opening Feb. 6, will be such a godsend.
Aviation security expert Jeffrey Price, professor in the Department of Aviation and Aerospace Science at Metropolitan State University of Denver, says that airline passengers across metro Denver should soon be floating on air about the airport’s improved security operation.
The new checkpoint is smarter (and much faster).
The new West Security Checkpoint features 17 brand-new lanes that use advanced equipment and state-of-the-art technology to speed your journey. The short version: It will be able to process around 200 passengers per lane per hour, as opposed to the 130-150 passengers who pass through the airport’s South checkpoint.
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Advanced technology will make a significant difference to journeys.
When you first encounter the technology at this checkpoint, it should transform your expectations of how a screening process can operate. For example: You can use your driver’s license on your phone (via Apple or Google Wallet) to opt in to a facial-recognition process, then quickly receive your boarding-pass details without any need for physical documents. And then on subsequent airport visits, just a simple tap of your phone will pull up all your necessary details for quicker processing.
It is in just the right location.
Besides all its other strengths, the West Checkpoint is well-located in the northwest corner of the West terminal on Level 6 and accessible for passengers, especially if you don’t need to visit an airline ticket counter before your security check.
Say goodbye to emptying stuff from your luggage.
Everyone’s familiar by now with the annoyingly long list of items we need to take out of our cases or bags at the airport security check: things such as electronic gadgets, computers, tablets, liquids, aerosols and gels. Well, not anymore. At the West Checkpoint, you simply place your bags and cases (and all their contents) in the screening bins and walk on through.
(Note: Unless you have a TSA PreCheck membership, you’ll still need to place your shoes and belt, if applicable, in a bin.)
Everything moves smoothly along the automated lanes.
Once you’ve loaded your screening bin at the security checkpoint, simply push it forward onto the rollers and away it will go for checking. Travelers can use as many bins as they need. And because the whole process is automated, more bins will constantly reappear. It looks like the airport version of an M.C. Escher drawing.
The body scanners are incredibly quick (and unobtrusive).
The new security scanners at the West Checkpoint are designed to combine maximum security with a fast, uncomplicated experience for travelers. You simply stand between two giant panels as if facing a mirror, with your arms by your side. The scan itself occurs quicker than the blink of an eye, and the analyzed results are ready in 2.5 seconds.
DIA’s new security measures stand up against other leading airports.
The introduction of several new measures, including facial recognition, 3D image scanning and automation in the screening lanes, should bring numerous benefits. With these elements in place, the checkpoint should see a higher volume of fast-moving passengers passing through each lane, making strides in efficiency and improving passenger security.
The airport is already planning for a busy future.
DIA was originally designed to process 50 million passengers a year. However, 69.3 million passengers passed through the airport in 2022 and demand continues to grow at a record pace. The good news: There is a plan.
The airport plans to open a brand-new East Security Checkpoint by late 2025 that will process thousands of additional passengers. And the Great Hall renovation, which is building out ticket counters and adding square footage to the terminal, should ultimately enable the airport to expand far beyond its original design.
