McCarran International Airport has become the fifth busiest airport in the United States in operations and sixth in passenger traffic, with over 46 million passengers passing through annually. This is close to its rated capacity and more than the roadway system around it (and parking, taxis, etc.) can easily handle. McCarran International is owned by Clark County. (The County also owns and operates four general aviation facilities: North Las Vegas Airport, Henderson Executive Airport, Jean Sport Aviation Center and Overton/Perkins Field. Interestingly, North Las Vegas is the state’s second busiest airport in terms of aircraft operations).

The designator for McCarran is “LAS.”

McCarran International Airport

Physically, the airport is at the south end of the strip, across from Mandalay Bay, the Four Seasons and the Bali Hai Golf Club. The entrance to the airport, however, is off Paradise Road. The access road has been renamed Wayne Newton Boulevard.

Even though it is relatively convenient to the Las Vegas Strip, sometimes the traffic going into and coming out of the airport will slow down a passenger’s progress. The interior of the airport is very passenger friendly, and even has 1,300 slot machines! So it is always a good decision to launch from the hotel with more time than you think you need to make the flight back home. At the airport a passenger will find over 50 retail shops and almost 30 places to eat, drink or snack.

There are 95 gates at McCarran, in two separate terminals. Most domestic flights are out of Terminal 1, which has 87 of the gates. International flights leave from Terminal 2, where there are 8 gates, four of which are for international arrivals and departures. The main run-ways are over 2 miles long. (25R/7L is 14,505 feet, and 25L/7R is 10,525 feet). Elevation is 2,181 feet.

Half of the visitors to Las Vegas come through the airport. The airport calculates that every new hotel room added in Las Vegas adds 320 passenger flights per year to the demand. This translates to almost 60 million passengers per year by 2011. To meet this ever-growing need for passenger processing, McCarran is adding more gates and a third terminal building. Eventually, a supplemental airport will be constructed farther south and west of town, closer to the border with California, between Jean and Primm.

McCarran is served by 41 commercial airlines. The airlines serving Las Vegas are: Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air North, Air Transat, AirTran, Alaska Air, Allegiant, Aloha Airlines, America West, American, ATA, Aviacsa, Belair, BMI, CA, Condor, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Harmony, Hawaiian, Jet Blue, Korean, MaxJet, Mexicana, Miami Air, Midwest, My Travel, Northwest, Omni Air International, Philippine Airlines, Ryan Interna-tional, Skyservice, Song, Southwest, Spirit, Sun Country, Ted, United, Virgin Atlantic, and West Jet.