# Denver Approves Key Lime Air Lease

Denver City Council approved Key Lime Air’s three-year lease for approximately 1,200 square feet and gates at Denver International Airport, with two one-year extension options. The space supports the airline’s Denver Air Connection regional passenger service and does not cover its separate ICE charter operations. The approval followed a delay for further engagement with immigrant-rights organizations; the agreement includes federal nondiscrimination obligations and a local-law compliance provision. Separately, the council increased a city legal-services contract with Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell to $970,000.

- Airport tenants and contractors should review the lease’s nondiscrimination and local-law provisions when assessing DIA business arrangements; the council discussion also raised potential federal grant-assurance and airport-funding implications.
- The lease is limited to passenger service, so it does not authorize or govern Key Lime Air’s separate ICE charter operations.
- The separate legal-services amendment illustrates another municipal procurement action: Denver’s agreement with Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell now totals $970,000 for defense in two employment lawsuits.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Transportation, Professional Services
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** October 14, 2026

### Government Entities
- Denver City Council
- Denver International Airport (DIA)
- City and County of Denver
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

### Vendors
- Key Lime Air (Approved lessee and airline operator)
- Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell (City law-firm contractor)

### Key Quotes
> Rejecting this agreement cannot change anything, except for us. We would face all the consequences and Key Lime Air would have none. It could continue its charter operations unaffected by this vote because the agreement that we're voting on doesn't include its charter operations.
> — Kevin Flynn, Councilmember

> If voting no on this contract would stop deportation flights out of DIA, I would absolutely consider sacrificing that, but it won't. It will not.
> — Amanda Sawyer, Councilmember

### Sources
- [After months of debate, Denver approves lease for ICE airline contractor Key Lime](https://denverite.com/2026/10/14/key-lime-air-ice-flights-lease-approved) - Denverite
- [Denver City Council delayed a DIA lease for Key Lime Air and approved a law firm contract, both with ties to immigration enforcement. https://t.co/hpEsB9Yzp2](https://x.com/9NEWS/status/2110451090135068735) - twitter-sled