LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Pilots and hangar owners at North Las Vegas Airport are voicing concerns about their future at the facility, as potential expansion plans aim to accommodate larger aircraft.
I spoke to some local pilots to hear their thoughts and followed up with the county.
Jeffrey Lustick, a pilot, Air Force veteran, and attorney representing the North Las Vegas Hangar Owners Group, has been flying for more than 30 years and storing his aircraft at the airport for the past four years.
"This has historically been the general aviation airport for private pilots, for families in aviation," Lustick said.
Lustick and nearly 300 other aircraft owners worry their ground leases might not be renewed when they expire over the next several years.
"It's unclear whether or not these buildings, these hangars, are going to revert back to county ownership or whether those leases will be renewed so we can continue the legacy of aviation here in NLV," Lustick said.
The concerns arose as North Las Vegas Airport, the state's second-busiest airport, considers expanding a runway to more than 6,800 feet to handle large jets flying in for Formula 1 and New Year's celebrations. Officials say the plans could help ease congestion at Harry Reid International Airport.
However, Lustick said the general aviation manager told hangar owners their facilities could be replaced with parking for visiting jets.
"We believe that there is a coexistence use between the big jets and the general aviation, and we want to work with them, so we aren't blocked and aren't removed," Lustick said.
Scott Kichline, managing director of commercial and business development for the county's aviation department, said the county is not planning to evict anyone.
"We're not kicking people out. We're in the aviation business, right? We're not, it's not going to be a mall, it's not going to be anything else. We've got a master plan to put $200 million into the facility. It's an airport, and it's the second busiest airport in the state, and we need to have a place for general aviation," Kichline said.
But Kichline acknowledged the leases will end and possibly change.
Meanwhile, Lustick said hangar owners are negotiating with the county to extend the leases and are asking for an advisory board and a memorandum of understanding to help protect hangar owners in the future.
"It definitely would give us extra protections moving forward," Lustick said.
Lustick and other pilots plan to bring their concerns to the county commissioner meeting on Tuesday.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness