Denver International Airport Opens Landmark Level 6 East Security Checkpoint Under Historic Great Hall Modernization

Transformative Passenger Processing Milestone at Jeppesen Terminal

DENVER, Colorado — In a monumental operational milestone for the Rocky Mountain region's premier global aviation gateway, Denver International Airport (DEN) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have officially opened the state-of-the-art Level 6 East Security Checkpoint. Representing the latest crowning achievement of the multi-billion-dollar Great Hall Project, the new facility permanently consolidates passenger security screening onto the upper departure level of the iconic Jeppesen Terminal, positioning the airport to comfortably process over 100 million annual travelers by 2030.

The newly unveiled facility mirrors the successful West Security Checkpoint launched earlier in Phase 2, permanently retiring the dated and congested screening areas formerly situated on Level 5. Built within strict budget allocations and delivered ahead of schedule by lead construction partners Hensel Phelps and Stantec, the expansion brings unprecedented throughput capacity, spatial elegance, and biometric processing efficiency to the nation's third-busiest airport.

Seventeen Automated Screening Lanes with Advanced CT Imaging

The Level 6 East Checkpoint integrates industry-leading checkpoint automation designed to slash passenger wait times while optimizing safety protocols:

• 17 High-Capacity Screening Lanes: Features automated screening lanes (ASLs) engineered with parallel divestiture stations, allowing multiple travelers to place items into bins simultaneously without stalling the line.
• Advanced Computed Tomography (CT) 3D Scanners: Deploys cutting-edge explosive detection technology generating rotatable 3D volumetric images of carry-on luggage, permitting travelers to leave laptops and compliant liquids inside bags.
• Automated Bin Return Systems: Integrated motorized conveyor belts automatically transport empty luggage bins back to the divest table, eliminating manual handling and accelerating throughput.
• Direct Vertical Transit: Incorporates newly constructed triple high-speed escalators and high-capacity elevators delivering screened passengers directly from Level 6 to the Level 4 train platform departing for Concourses A, B, and C.

South Concourse Modernization and Next-Generation Check-in Pods

With the opening of both the East and West security checkpoints on Level 6, the airport has achieved a complete functional separation between ticketing, security, and baggage reclaim. Over twenty domestic and international legacy airlines have transitioned into modern modular ticketing pods featuring self-service automated bag drops and touchless digital kiosks.

Construction teams have now transitioned to the terminal's south perimeter to complete The Living Room—an expansive public gathering commons boasting expansive panoramic vistas of the Colorado Front Range, local dining outposts, dynamic flight information displays, and the future Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation.

Generational Economic Keystone for the Western United States

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and DEN Chief Executive Officer Phil Washington praised the milestone as essential to safeguarding Denver's position as a primary international logistics and commercial crossroads. Funded entirely through airport revenues, concession partnerships, and federal aviation grants without drawing upon local municipal tax dollars, the modernization enhances customer experience, fosters regional employment, and advances Denver's generational vision of a net-zero, digitally unified airport campus.