It has been a dynamic decade for Southwest Airlines in Denver.
The Dallas-based carrier launched its operations at Denver International Airport in 2006 with a local staff of five dozen people and a flight log of 13 daily departures.
Southwest, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in Denver on Thursday, now commands a 30 percent market share in the Mile High City; employs 2,900 people here, with plans to hire another 100 this quarter; runs just shy of 200 flights from DIA; and has its sights set on further growth in a market that ranks as the carrier’s fourth-busiest.
Southwest’s Denver operation — at the fastest-growing airport in the carrier’s nearly 45-year history — has the potential to become the Southwest’s largest.
“It’s on an expansion path that’s greater than almost all of our other airports,” said Andrew Watterson, senior vice president of network and revenue management. “So Denver is on its way to becoming our crown jewel.”
Southwest is DIA’s second-largest carrier, sitting behind United and ahead of Denver-based Frontier, which has shed some local operations amid its shift to ultra-low-cost-carrier status.
Frontier’s contraction in Denver has led to gains for Southwest and operators. Delta filled gates that Frontier relinquished, DIA landed a slew of new routes and carriers, and Southwest picked up a substantial number of new customers who originated from Denver.
“You go back five years, we were big, but we were mostly bringing people to Denver,” Watterson said. “In the last 18 months, we’ve seen an extraordinary adoption of new customers for business and travel. It’s surprised us, but we’re really pleased about it.”
Southwest added more flights and more capacity to Denver than any other airline in 2015, DIA chief Kim Day said.
Southwest intends to bulk up its flight schedule out of Denver in the coming year, adding more frequency through late 2016, Watterson said.
Southwest fanned out its DIA operations last fall, leasing five new gates and support space on Concourse C built as part of a $46 million, 39,000-square-foot expansion. The project was paid for by Airport Capital Improvement Project funds.
To accomplish the planned growth, Southwest’s accommodations at DIA will have to keep pace, CEO Gary Kelly said.
“We have a line of sight to address all of our needs,” he said, referring to additional gate, baggage claim and ticketing space. “Construction is underway already, projects are underway. I feel really good about our ability to grow here and for a long time.”
Alicia Wallace: 303-954-1939, awallace@denverpost.com or @aliciawallace
