Denver International Airport (DEN) announced that Dave LaPorte has been named the airport’s Chief Operating Officer/Executive Vice President. LaPorte has been in the aviation industry for more than 30 years and has been with DEN since 2012. His most recent position was Deputy Chief Operating Officer where he had direct oversight of Airport Safety and Operations Innovation and Analytics.
“Dave LaPorte brings a breadth and depth of experience in the aviation industry spanning three decades in operations and maintenance, including with a major national airline. He has earned a reputation as a problem solver, effective leader and strong communicator. DEN will benefit from Dave’s expertise in this new role as the airport looks ahead to a future of growth.”
From 2012 through 2015 LaPorte served as the Senior Vice President of Airport Infrastructure Management (AIM), where he was responsible for leading Maintenance, Development, Asset Management, and Airport Planning and Noise. Following that, he held the position of SVP of Airport Operations from 2015 to 2023 where he was responsible for leading Airside and Terminal Operations, Safety, Security, Emergency Preparedness and Management, Contract Administration, and the Communications Center.
Prior to joining the DEN team, LaPorte had a 19-year career with Southwest Airlines, including serving as the airline’s DEN Station Manager. He opened the station with 13 flights a day and oversaw its growth to 175 flights per day and was responsible for customer service, ground handling and operations. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aviation Technology from Western Michigan University where he attended flight school.