Denver International Airport Named A Top Global Megahub For Connectivity

Denver International Airport (DEN) is one of the most connected “megahub” airports in the world, according to a new analysis by the air travel intelligence firm, OAG.

Denver claimed the No. 4 spot among the world’s most connected airport hubs, according to OAG’s Megahubs Index 2016 Report. The ranking is based on a connectivity index that measures the ratio of scheduled seat capacity to the number of destinations served. The report then ranked the top 50 airports in the world based on the highest ratio of possible scheduled connections to the number of destinations served by each airport.

“This study confirms that Denver International Airport continues to provide unparalleled access to markets around the world,” airport CEO Kim Day said. “DEN was the only airport to be included as both a top-five overall megahub and a top low-cost megahub, which is a testament to the strength of the local Denver market and to our expanding connectivity – which has been bolstered by 12 new nonstop destinations and five new airlines in 2016 alone.”

Also in 2016, DEN has seen its total capacity growth among all carriers increase by more than 9 percent compared to 2015. The airport’s two largest carriers, United and Southwest, have both seen outstanding growth this year. Denver has experienced the highest percentage of both capacity and available seat miles growth of any of United’s hubs over the past four years. Looking ahead to early 2017, Denver will rank as the fastest growing station for Southwest in terms of domestic service.

The top five most connected airports, according to the study, are: Chicago O’Hare International, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International, Dallas/Fort Worth International, Denver International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International. Additionally, the study found that DEN is ranked No. 5 on the list of the top 25 airports for connecting passengers using low-cost airlines.