Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links below. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
Denver International Airport (DEN) is preparing for another significant expansion as it moves forward with plans to add 11 new gates to the western end of Concourse C. The $700 million project, known as the C-West extension, will add 400,000 square feet of new space, including gates, concessions, and an outdoor patio overlooking the Rocky Mountains.
The Denver Business Journal reports that the expansion comes as Denver International Airport (DEN) experiences rapid growth and positions itself to handle up to 100 million annual passengers within the next decade. The airport set a new record in 2024 (serving 82.4 million travelers) and officials expect demand to continue rising. The Denver City Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure committee has approved a project management contract for the build-out.
C-West is part of the airport’s broader Vision 100 program, a multibillion-dollar effort to expand concourses, upgrade the terminal, and prepare for Denver’s continued population and tourism growth. The project follows a previous 39-gate expansion completed in 2022, which supported major increases by Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.
The airport’s CEO, Phil Washington, has not indicated which airline will ultimately occupy the new gates, but Southwest and United are the most likely candidates. Southwest is the primary tenant of Concourse C, while United continues to push for additional capacity as it works toward a long-term goal of roughly 700 daily departures from Denver International Airport (DEN). Delta Air Lines is currently in Terminal A and could also shift to Terminal C to allow United to continue to expand. United’s current schedule for June 2026 shows around 575 departures, which leaves significant room for growth to hit 700.
The C-West extension is one of several major improvements underway at the airport. The final phase of Denver International Airport’s (DEN) terminal renovation includes a years-long, delayed project that includes a redesigned “living room” area outside security. This is scheduled to open in 2027. Design work is also in progress for a new United Polaris® Lounge as well as multiple infrastructure upgrades continue across the airfield and terminal complex.
Anthony’s Take: I’m not a huge fan of Denver International Airport (DEN), but there is plenty of land around the airport for continued expansion. United does not seem to be slowing down there and these improvements should make the airport a bit better for all travelers. That would be nice.
(Featured Image Credit: Denver International Airport.)
User Generated Content Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.
Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
