Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has taken a stand against the federal government's decision to cut flights by 10% at major airports, a move that has direct implications for the Denver International Airport (DEN), as well as for the livelihood of federal employees working there. As obtained by the City and County of Denver, Mayor Johnston said, "President Trump’s shutdown has forced federal employees to work without pay and left 100,000 Denverites without access to food. Now his dysfunction is threatening to cancel flights for millions of Americans and kneecap our state’s largest economic engine.”
As the shutdown lingers, DEN, which ranks as the third busiest in the U.S. and sixth in the world, has approached the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with a proposal to utilize airport revenue to continue compensating air traffic controllers, a financial maneuver intended to sidestep shutdown constraints, with hopes for federal reimbursement post-shutdown. Struggling to maintain operations, DEN has also stepped in to support its workforce. Announced recently, the airport established a food and essentials pantry for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and other federal employees who continue to work without pay during the federal government shutdown.
The economic repercussions for Colorado are non-trivial. DEN supports nearly 245,000 jobs and contributes more than $47 billion annually to the state's economy. Mayor Johnston's emphasis on the economic toll highlights the broader stakes of the federal government's actions beyond the airport's immediate operational challenges. He urges the Trump Administration "to stop playing politics, lift these restrictions, and keep our flights running smoothly, safely, and at full strength," as per the City and County of Denver.
