Denver airport ranks as the 3rd busiest in the world

Denver International Airport is even busier than you realize.

What's new: Denver's airport ranked No. 3 nationwide in 2020 — but in 2021, the transit hub jumped to a new level, becoming the third busiest in the world with 58.8 million passengers.

By the numbers: DIA's growth in recent years is exponential. It ranked 19th busiest in the world in 2017 and 2018, and eighth in 2020.

• Last year, only the Atlanta and Dallas airports saw more traffic, according to preliminary data from Airports Council International.

Yes, but: Passenger traffic in 2021 still didn't recover to pre-pandemic levels. Denver saw 15% fewer travelers in 2021 compared to 2019; but it's beginning to turn.

• This February was the first month since the pandemic that DIA saw a monthly increase compared to 2019.

Between the lines: The airport's geographic position makes it an ideal connection point for domestic air travel.

• "Despite the challenges, [DIA] has shown resiliency through the pandemic and has proven why Denver is such an important hub for our airline partners," said airport CEO Phil Washington in a statement.