Airport Experience® News - Conference Issue 2024

Penny May Wins Industry Respect For Strong Operator Relations, Airport Knowledge

BY ANDREW TELLIJOHN

Penny May was early in her career with the city of Denver in 1995 when Denver International Airport (DEN) was under construction. She worked downtown in a role supporting the City Council, so she saw firsthand challenges that arose around constructing and opening the facility. She also heard people question the logic of building an airport so far from the center of Denver. But May found it exciting, and she made a point of being at DEN the day the first flight arrived. “I can’t even tell you about the excitement and anticipation,” she says. “It was early in my career. We had worked so long and so hard. The first flight came in early in the morning. Four of us drove out – it snowed of course, because why wouldn’t it? We just wanted to be in the airport when the first flight landed. The energy from everyone was incredible and it felt like we were on to someth ing.”

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AX NEWS MARCH 2024