Denver International Airport celebrates 30th anniversary
Thirty years ago, Continental Airlines Flight 34 left Stapleton International Airport as the last commercial flight to leave the airport. Overheard in the control tower, the pilot on the plane said, "We will miss this place. A lot of memories."
Its replacement was an airport set in an area many locals couldn't find on a map.
"They say it was out in Kansas," said Stephen Lee, who is the Director of Emergency Management & Communication at Denver International Airport.
Steve was one of the workers who moved from Stapleton International Airport to Denver International Airport on the snowy day on Feb. 28, 1995.
"When we moved out here, we were made fun of for building this airport that was huge in the middle of nowhere," he said.
Mike Carlson, who is the Senior Manager Airport Airside Operations at Denver International Airport, remembers the feeling of seeing United Flight 1474 from Colorado Springs, becoming the first plane to land at the new airport.
"Excitement. Definite excitement," Carlson recalled.
Both have seen the ups and downs in their 30 years at the airport. Shortly after the opening celebrations, the airport's baggage system, which was touted as the most advanced system in the world, failed. It was decommissioned in 2005.
"It definitely gave the airport a black eye, and it never really got going," Carlson said.
They've seen the airport expand from the tents in the main terminal to the Westin Hotel attached to the main terminal. They have also heard the conspiracy theories surrounding the airport, like the secret tunnels.
"I just shake my head, you know. There are no conspiracy theories out here," Carlson said.
What is true is the renovations at the airport through the Great Hall Project, by adding new state-of-the-art security checkpoints, helping to serve 100 million passengers annually in the near future.
"We're going to hit that 100 million passengers a year mark before we know it, and the only way we can do that is by continuing constantly to improve our system and to grow the airport," Lee said.
With retirement on the runway, Steve and Mile are proud of their 30-year career of serving at the 6th busiest airport in the world.
"I always tell people when they come to work here, appreciate it because, this is really a fun place to work," Lee said.
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