Las Vegas Eyes Second Major Airport to Open 2037

Harry Reid International Airport hosted a record high of 52.6 million passengers in 2022, according to figures it released on Monday. That shatters its previous record of 51.5 million, set in 2019, representing nearly 13 million more travelers and a 32.6 percent increase over 2021.

Here’s the bad news – it leaves only 10 million-12 million more passengers before Las Vegas’ only major airport reaches its capacity. That’s expected to happen around 2030.

We feel that we’re going to start getting hit with delays on the airfield by the end of 2029 or maybe by 2030,” Clark County director of aviation Vassiliadis recently told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Unfortunately, it means painful years for airlines and that we need a second commercial airport.”

And that’s why plans are once again underway for the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA). First proposed as the Ivanpah Valley Airport in 1998, it is slated for 6,500 acres of former Bureau of Land Management desert 30 miles south of Las Vegas between the towns of Jean and Primm. It will host up to 35 million travelers per year.

A Familiar Story

Environmental studies are nearly complete, and airspace studies are continuing. During Nevada’s current legislative session – which began Monday and runs through June 6 – Clark County will reportedly seek state approval to begin its design work.

The opening of Terminal 3 in 2012 let additional steam out of the valve, increasing annual capacity at the former McCarran International Airport by another 8 million-10 million per year.

How Much and Who’s Paying?

SNSA was last budgeted at $4 billion, but that was in 2005 dollars. Whatever the new current projected cost, federal funding could be facilitated by appointment last month of Nevada’s 2nd US House District Rep., Mark Amodei, R-Carson City, as chairman of the US House Appropriations Committee’s Legislative Branch Subcommittee.

The budget will also need to include some money to help build an $8 billion high-speed rail service between Las Vegas and Southern California. Thirty miles south of Las Vegas can be a lot longer than 30 minutes during peak travel times, so a high-speed rail station is essential for the new airport’s success.

Brightline is already talking with airport planners, according to the R-J.

Did Clark County Wait Too Long?

Airports can’t be built overnight. In fact, the earliest SNSA could possibly come online is now 2037, according to Vassiliadis. So what happens during the seven years after Harry Reid reaches peak capacity but before SNSA can open?

Another strategy is to encourage airlines to fly larger airplanes since airport capacity refers to the maximum number of flights, not people, that can fit. To this end, Southwest is currently upgrading much of its Las Vegas fleet from planes holding 140 passengers each to 170, which should help a bit.

Finally, Vassiliadis said Harry Reid Airport must divert some of its private jets to Henderson Executive Airport or North Las Vegas Airport. The rate of private air traffic has increased dramatically since Allegiant Stadium opened its doors to the public to watch Las Vegas Raiders games in 2021. It is expected to reach set a new high in the week leading up to the Formula 1 Grand Prix race on November 18.