LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The post-pandemic travel boom continues at Harry Reid International Airport.
On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority received an airline development update from Ailevon Pacific Aviation Consulting, which works with officials at Harry Reid International Airport. They found that during fiscal year 2023, Las Vegas set several records.
The airport is now connected to a record number of cities, with 161 nonstop routes, and a record number of airlines are now serving Las Vegas. The report states 35 carriers currently have service to Las Vegas, including five new airlines that started or announced new service.
"People want to be here. They missed being here during the pandemic. We have more than recovered from what happened during COVID and have surpassed the numbers we had in 2019," said LVCVA chief executive officer and president Steve Hill. "The growth in air traffic over the past year is the most growth we've ever had."
According to the presentation, of the 25 largest airports in the United States, Harry Reid International Airport had the most capacity growth. The airport grew by 17% — which makes Las Vegas number one in the world.
According to airport officials, June 2023 was the busiest June they've ever recorded at Harry Reid International Airport. Passenger totals are up 4% and more than 4.88 million people went through the airport.
Both Harry Reid airport officials and county officials have been working on multiple projects to try to keep up with demand. That includes adding 1,100 parking spaces at Terminal 1, modernizing baggage systems in Terminal 1 and 3, and expanding the Henderson Executive Airport by nearly 18 acres. That expansion is to help support Harry Reid International Airport's general aviation operations if and when they reach capacity.
That could be soon. During the presentation, officials said they're expecting to set a new all-time high for monthly passengers and expect to hit a new annual record this year. They added that international travel has recovered by about 80% and they expect that number to be 90% by the end of the year.
"We're excited to continue to grow and bring back our international routes, which by this time next year, will have completely happened. Airlines are responding to demand. Research shows if you can make the flight directly into Las Vegas, the demand doubles," Hill said. "It's an opportunity for airlines from all parts of the world to take a look at that and realize, 'if we step in there, there are new customers for us.' We're not trying to take customers away from somebody else."
Hill adds that airport officials have been exploring potential cities where they can add direct flights to Las Vegas. Tokyo, Japan is at the top of the list.
"We had gotten to the point where we were very close to being able to announce a direct flight to Tokyo just before the pandemic happened. The pandemic eliminated that possibility for a while," Hill said. "International airlines are having to go through the same thing as cities around the globe and are having to go back to bringing back the flights that they have. We are in conversations with airlines that would provide that direct service. We think that will happen over the next couple of years, but there's still work to do."
The LVCVA's Board of Directors also approved a $386,000 investment to participate in Routes World 2023, which will be in Istanbul, Turkey in October. The tradeshow allows decisionmakers from airlines, airports, and destinations to meet and discuss the future of the airline industry.
