United Primes Denver Airport for a Smooth Thanksgiving Rush
As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday stretch, things at Denver International Airport are gearing up for what United Airlines likes to call their “Super Bowl week.” And honestly, it makes sense — this is one of the busiest travel periods of the entire year. What’s interesting is that travelers seem far more relaxed and confident this time around, especially after the recent government shutdown briefly created turbulence around air travel.
According to United, bookings jumped by about 15% once the government reopened. That bump is being viewed as a clear sign that people feel safer and more assured now that restrictions from the FAA have been lifted. Jonna McGrath, who oversees airport operations for United in Denver, mentioned that travelers seem confident they’ll get to their destinations without unexpected disruptions. And that confidence is exactly what airlines like United want heading into the holiday crunch.
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Next week, United is preparing to run roughly 545 flights a day out of Denver alone — that’s more than 50,000 passengers moving through the system every single day. It’s a massive undertaking, and for the people managing the operation, this week is about precision and teamwork. Colin Whatley, who directs United’s Denver Station Operations Center, compared it to the Super Bowl. It’s their biggest moment of the season, and every detail counts.
Inside the airport, the Station Operations Center functions as the airline’s command hub. McGrath even calls it “the quarterback of our operation,” because everything — catering, fueling, customer service, boarding, crew coordination — flows through this room. During the government shutdown, this team was responsible for handling FAA-reduced capacity, and they worked to keep things moving smoothly, safely, and on time. Now, they’re back to full strength, and the focus is on keeping the holiday travel experience as smooth as possible.
McGrath compared the current ramp-up to recovering after a major weather event. Airlines often scale down operations during storms, then build back up the next day. Those “recovery days” have trained the team well for moments like this, when the system needs to quickly return to full power.
Whatley reinforced just how central that operations room is. No flight moves without coordination from that team, and the communication lines stay active with flight crews, ramp teams on the ground, and customer service personnel throughout the airport.
Even though controller shortages have affected certain parts of the country, Denver hasn’t felt the brunt of it the way some East Coast airports have. So for travelers passing through DIA this Thanksgiving, United says they should expect the usual holiday crowds — but not the chaos that sometimes accompanies them. Their goal is simple: minimize disruptions and keep people moving where they need to go.
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