A new world airport and its baggage
2 days ago
- Denver's aviation history began with mail service; Stapleton Airport evolved from a mail stop to a busy hub, especially after airline deregulation made Denver a central hub for carriers like United and Continental.
- By the 1980s, Stapleton was too cramped and unable to expand due to terrain, private land, and legal disputes, leading to delays that cascaded nationwide during bad weather.
- Mayor candidate Monte Pascoe's 1983 campaign for a 'New World Airport' pushed rivals to commit, leading to planning for Denver International Airport (DIA) in 1984, which was approved by voters in 1989.
- DIA was the first major US airport since Dallas-Fort Worth (1974) and faced budget overruns (from $3B to nearly $5B) and political scandals.
- United Airlines gained significant leverage over DIA's design after the project started, demanding a 35-minute turnaround time and a layout with widely separated terminals and underground connections.
- The innovative underground baggage handling system (BAE Telecars) was intended to move bags automatically via 20 miles of track and 4,000 carts, but it was plagued by design changes, software bugs, and mechanical failures.
- Media demonstrations in 1994 revealed bags being thrown off tracks, torn open, and piling up, causing massive delays and embarrassment.
- The City of Denver eventually hired Rapistan Demag to install a conventional manual baggage system, delaying the airport's opening by 16 months (to February 1995).
- The automated system never fully worked; United shut down its remaining part in 2005 due to high maintenance costs, and most equipment was abandoned.
- DIA's baggage system remains a famous case study in engineering failure, though modern systems (e.g., at Orlando and Dubai) have since succeeded with similar technology.