Denver Council Approves DEN Airline Leases 11-1, Rejects Two Tech Contracts
City Council • City and County of DenverOctober 13, 2026
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Denver City Council spent more than an hour on Oct. 13, 2026, debating whether airline leases at Denver International Airport could be a tool against ICE deportation flights. Members approved all 10 leases 11-1, concluding that rejecting them would cost the city leverage and federal money without grounding a single flight. The same night, the council killed two technology contracts worth a combined $8.9M, citing 311 staffing, lapsed agreements and skipped competitive bidding.
- 10 DEN airline leases approved 11-1 after a long debate over Key Lime Air's role in ICE flights
- $3.9M Citibot AI chatbot extension fails 3-9 as members question AI spending over 311 staff
- $5M Slalom IT contract rejected 2-10 over a term of nine-plus years and outsourced Salesforce work
- Council formally opposes Proposition 132 on fentanyl sentencing, 11-0, backed by Denver's district attorney
- Barnum rezoning passes 11-0, clearing the way for 10 permanently affordable Denver Housing Authority homes
The basics: The 10 use and lease agreements (26-1348 through 26-1357) cover carriers including Air Canada, Lufthansa, WestJet and Key Lime Air, which does business as Denver Air Connection. Council postponed the leases earlier so it could first pass an ordinance requiring contractors to follow federal, state and local law. That requirement is now embedded in Section 7.03 of each lease.
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