Remember Stapleton International Airport? It was Denver’s primary airport for 65 years. Now it’s a bustling neighborhood.
Stapleton International Airport first opened as Denver Municipal Airport on October 17 in 1929. Mayor Benjamin F Stapleton spearheaded its development with Charles Vail. Before Stapleton opened Denver had smaller airfields. These included an airstrip on Smith Road in Aurora and Denver Union Airport.
In the late 1930s Stapleton had two hangars and a small administration building. It mainly processed air mail. United Airlines and Continental Airlines began service in 1937. Nine weekday departures were recorded in March 1939. Seven were United and two were Continental.
Continental moved its headquarters to Denver in October 1937. Robert F Six believed a large city would provide a better customer base. Continental later moved to Los Angeles in July 1963.
The airfield was renamed Stapleton Airfield on August 25 in 1944. This honored Mayor Stapleton who served multiple terms. His service spanned from 1923 to 1931 and 1935 to 1947.
Stapleton’s modern horseshoe-shaped terminal design was announced in 1946. However it was shelved in 1947 by the new mayor James Newton. The original administration building was expanded in the early 1950s. It was fully replaced in 1954.
Nonstop flights increased. DC-4 flights to Chicago San Francisco and Los Angeles started in 1946. DC-6 flights to Washington DC began in 1951. Flights to New York started in 1952. Denver had five airlines then. United flew across the country. Continental flew south and east. Braniff flew to Texas. Frontier flew to smaller cities and Western connected Denver to Minneapolis and Edmonton.
The jet age began in May 1959. Continental operated Boeing 707s but with weight restrictions. Scheduled 707s started in August 1959.
Runway 17/35 and a new terminal opened in 1964. Stapleton became “International” in 1964. Its first nonstop international flight was to Calgary in 1968. The Boeing 747 arrived in 1970 on Continental’s Los Angeles route.
In the early 1970s Frontier occupied Concourse A. United occupied Concourse B. Western and Continental occupied Concourse C. Concourse D was built in 1972.
After deregulation in 1978 Denver’s major airlines created hubs at Stapleton. United occupied Concourse B. Continental and Western used Concourse C. Frontier used Concourse D.
In 1981 and 1982 Western flew nonstop to London. Later they shifted resources. By 1987 Denver was no longer a Western hub. Arrow Air introduced transatlantic services in 1983. Condor flew weekly charters to Frankfurt.
The first Boeing 767 revenue flight arrived in September 1982. It was a United flight from Chicago.
During the 1980s energy boom Denver skyscrapers were built. Due to Stapleton’s proximity the FAA imposed height restrictions. This ensured glide slopes for runways.
By the 1980s Stapleton needed replacement. It had inadequate runway separation. This caused long waits. There was little room for new airlines. Noise lawsuits from Park Hill residents added to the problems.
A deal was brokered in 1985 to annex land in Adams County for a new airport. Voters approved the plan.
To ease congestion runway 18/36 was added. Concourse E opened in 1988. By the early 1990s United and United Express used Concourses A and B. Continental used Concourses C and D. Most other airlines used Concourse E.
Delta Flight 569 was the last revenue flight to land at Stapleton on February 27 in 1995. Continental Flight 34 was the last to depart. Afterward a convoy of vehicles moved to the new Denver International Airport. It opened at 12:01 am on February 28.
When Stapleton closed it had six runways and five concourses. The airport codes DEN and KDEN transferred to the new airport. This ensured flights would land at DIA. The runways were too close together. Most were too short for the altitude.
Planners considered Stapleton’s redevelopment. The Stapleton Development Foundation created a master plan in 1995. It emphasized pedestrian-friendly design.
The city sought tenants for Stapleton’s terminal. However the buildings were unsuitable. A hailstorm damaged the roofs in 1997. The city demolished them. The control tower remained. It became part of Punch Bowl Social.
Most of Stapleton’s infrastructure was removed. The control tower and some hangars remain. United operates a training center on the grounds.
Today the area is Central Park a thriving community. Stapleton International Airport is now a memory but its legacy lives on.