Denver International Airport (DEN) has become the first large hub airport in the United States to fully implement the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Safety Management System requirements.

The milestone follows the FAA’s acceptance of DEN’s SMS Manual in 2025 and establishes a structured framework for identifying, assessing and mitigating safety risks across airport operations.

“Safety will always be a top priority at DEN,” said DEN CEO Phil Washington. “This milestone reflects years of coordinated effort across the entire DEN organization and airport community and positions DEN as a national leader helping define the future of aviation safety in the United States.”

Airport Safety Management Systems are designed to shift safety programs from a primarily reactive compliance model to a proactive risk management approach that identifies and addresses potential hazards before incidents occur. The FAA requirements are established under 14 CFR Part 139 Subpart E.

DEN’s SMS framework is built around safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance, safety promotion and the development of a shared safety culture across the airport community.

Implementation is intended to strengthen the airport’s ability to identify operational hazards, improve coordination across departments and support risk-informed decision-making. The framework also provides processes for monitoring safety performance, using operational data to identify emerging risks and continuously improving safety practices.

“Implementation has required us to fundamentally rethink how operational risk is identified, assessed, communicated, and managed across one of the most complex aviation environments in the world,” Washington said.

DEN said the system will also support operational resilience as the airport continues to grow by helping teams identify potential disruptions before they affect employees, passengers, airlines or airport operations.