Coronavirus Impacting DIA Travel: Fewer Passengers Through TSA Checkpoints
DENVER (CBS4) - The number of passengers moving through TSA security checkpoints at Denver International Airport fell nearly 10% in the first week of March compared to the same week in 2019. That's according to new numbers obtained by CBS4.
For six out of the first seven days of March, the number of passengers clearing TSA checkpoints fell from the previous year, with the number dropping nearly 20% March 7.
"There's no doubt this health scare is having an impact on our passenger traffic," said Stacey Stegman, the airports Vice President of Communications.
On March 1, TSA checkpoints at DIA recorded a 6.06% increase in passengers from a year earlier, but for the next six days, traffic declined anywhere from 7.97% on March 2 to 19.40% on March 7.
The TSA numbers only record passengers originating their travel in Denver, about 65% of the airport's volume. An estimated 35% of passengers connect at DIA and do not pass through the TSA security checkpoints.
Stegman said the numbers obtained by CBS4 "are preliminary and will go through a verification" which will include data from airlines.
For the overall week, there were 39,278 fewer passengers this year than in 2019, an overall drop of 9.46%. Stegman told CBS4 the drop is not a surprise.
She said the virus and the accompanying media coverage "has caused some connerns for travelers. It's hard to predict, but we expect some additional reductions."
Fewer passengers mean a downturn in revenue for the airport and businesses there, but Stegman said "to what level we don't know."
She said the airport maintains a 500 day supply of cash to cover downturns like this.
Here are the weekly numbers compared to 2019 according to DEN/TSA:
3/1 +6.06%
3/2 -7.97%
3/3 -6.10%
3/4 -13.41%
3/5 -9.21%
3/6 -16.88%
3/7 -19.40
Total: -9.46%