Harry Reid International Airport

Harry Reid International Airport Template:Airport codes, until 2021 called McCarran International Airport, is the main gateway for international and domestic flights to the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada. It is located Template:Convert south of downtown Las Vegas,<ref name=Skyvector>Template:Cite web FAA data effective August 7, 2025.</ref> in the unincorporated area of Paradise,<ref name=Paradisemapwuniv /> and covers Template:Convert of land.<ref name=Skyvector />

Clark County Commission owns the facility and its Department of Aviation oversees airport operations.<ref name="FAA">Template:FAA-airport, effective August 7, 2025.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In December 2021, the Clark County Commission renamed the airport to honor former U.S. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada. The airport comprises four runways and three passenger terminals encompassing five concourses, which are linked by an automated people mover system. Alongside Reno–Tahoe International Airport, Reid is one of only two U.S. airports that offer slot machines within its terminal buildings.

The airport opened in January 1943 as Alamo Field and initially catered to general aviation. In December 1948, it was rechristened for U.S. senator Pat McCarran, and commercial airlines shifted to it from the Las Vegas Army Airfield. Passenger counts increased in the 1950s as the Strip expanded, leading to the construction of a new terminal. McCarran later came to be seen as the model for the common-use approach to airport resources in the United States and pioneered radio-frequency identification of baggage. Terminal 3 was added in 2012, and the airport was renamed in honor of Senator Reid in 2021.

Reid is served by over 30 airlines and is an operating base for Allegiant Air, Frontier Airlines, JSX, Southwest Airlines, and Spirit Airlines.<ref>Template:Unbulleted list citebundle</ref> Southwest became its dominant carrier in the 1990s. In 2024, over 58.4 million passengers passed through the airport, the most in its history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Reid has international flights to cities in Asia, Europe, and North America.

History

Origins

George Crockett, a flight instructor, built Alamo Field in 1942 on the site currently occupied by Harry Reid Airport.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Crockett named it in honor of his forefather Davy Crockett, who had fought in the Battle of the Alamo. The airfield opened in January 1943. It catered to general aviation and included three gravel runways, a flight school, and a terminal building.Template:Sfn Meanwhile, all commercial airlines flew into the Las Vegas Army Airfield. They shared the facility with the Army Air Forces, which had been operating an air base there since the attack on Pearl Harbor.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The base closed in 1946.Template:Sfn

With the onset of the Cold War, the military said it was amenable to reopening the base, but it wanted the airlines to move elsewhere.Template:Sfn Crockett was willing to let them use his airfield, so the Clark County Commission entered into negotiations with him.Template:Sfn In the meantime, the county held a bond election to fund construction work that would enable Alamo Field to handle commercial operations. Proponents of the bond issue, who included the chamber of commerce and casino executives, sought the economic benefits of both an air base and a modern airport capable of serving the increasing numbers of tourists that they expected to arrive. Voters approved the bond in 1947.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn With the help of U.S. senator Pat McCarran of Nevada, the county finalized a deal with Crockett to purchase his airfield the following year.Template:Sfn<ref name="at693">Template:Cite journal</ref> On December 19, 1948, the airport was renamed McCarran Field and began receiving passenger flights.Template:Sfn

Expansion

The growth of the Las Vegas casino industry during the 1950s fueled a rise in air traffic; the city went from receiving 36,000 passengers in 1948 to nearly one million in 1959. In September 1960, United Airlines became the first carrier to offer jet flights to Las Vegas.Template:Sfn The airport was ill-equipped to handle the increasing passenger counts and the advent of commercial jetliners. Consequently, the county built a new terminal, which opened in March 1963.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Another expansion project, which included adding Concourses A and B and lengthening the runways, ended in 1974.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, traffic levels had already rendered the project insufficient by the time it was completed. Airport officials therefore prepared for further expansion.Template:Sfn

The deregulation of the airline industry in 1978 led to an increase in the number of carriers at McCarran and prompted officials to accelerate their expansion plans.Template:Sfn In October 1985, a central terminal, Concourse C, and a people mover between the two buildings opened.<ref name="at693" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, America West Airlines was the busiest airline at McCarran.<ref name="vi911">Template:Cite news</ref> The carrier began offering cheap night flights to Las Vegas in 1986.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It ultimately developed a hub at the airport that functioned between 10Template:Nbsppm and 2Template:Nbspam every night. The strategy capitalized on the fact that Las Vegas was open 24 hours a day and enabled the airline to decrease costs.<ref name="ws396">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> America West charged low fares because it was the only carrier operating such a large number of flights at that time of night.Template:Sfn Most of its customers were tourists, while the remainder were changing planes.<ref name="ws396" /> By the late 1990s, Southwest Airlines had overtaken America West as McCarran's largest carrier and occupied all the gates in Concourse C. The company's high frequency of flights, cheap tickets, and collaboration with local resorts contributed to its success in the Las Vegas market.Template:Sfn<ref name="ls301">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Multiple projects were finished during the 1990s. The Charter/International Terminal, later renamed Terminal 2, opened in December 1991.<ref name="at693" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A cargo center was dedicated two years later.<ref name="at693" /> In 1994, a tunnel beneath the east–west runways that linked the airport to the Las Vegas Beltway opened.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A nine-level parking facility was completed in 1996, and in June 1998, the first two wings of Concourse D were inaugurated.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> McCarran also gained its first scheduled flights to Europe and Asia. In November 1996, Condor launched a route to Cologne, and Northwest Airlines commenced service to its hub at Tokyo's Narita Airport in June 1998.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> With the backing of two casinos, National Airlines set up a hub in Las Vegas the following year. The company specialized in low-fare flights to cities on the East Coast. Other casinos responded by arranging package deals with larger airlines. This and other factors led to National's demise in 2002.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Innovation and new terminal

Concourse D in May 2009 with Terminal 3 under construction in the background

Officials started to introduce new technologies. In the late 1990s, they began following a common-use strategy, where airlines share airport facilities.<ref name="nytcute">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="nc403">Template:Cite journal</ref> The airport first deployed computer systems known as common-use terminal equipment (CUTE) at gates and check-in counters. McCarran pioneered the use of CUTE in the domestic terminals of American airports.<ref name="nc403" /> In 2003, it became the first airport in the country to install common-use self-service kiosks, which customers use to check in and obtain their boarding passes.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="nc104">Template:Cite journal</ref> With nearly 30 carriers serving McCarran, officials did not want to have separate sets of kiosks for each one. The airport ultimately acquired a reputation in the United States as the model for the common-use approach.<ref name="nytcute" /> It began implementing a baggage-tracking system based on radio-frequency identification (RFID) in 2005. The technology was intended to facilitate luggage screening and decrease the chances of losing bags.<ref name="nc104" /><ref name="ws909">Template:Cite news</ref> McCarran and the Hong Kong airport were the first to use RFID on a large scale.<ref name="ws909" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In the 2000s, Allegiant Air moved its headquarters from Fresno to Las Vegas. The company also changed its focus to providing nonstop flights between small towns and vacation destinations and expanded the number of cities it served from McCarran to 35.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2004, Philippine Airlines extended its flight between Manila and Vancouver to Las Vegas. The service was primarily targeted at tourists from western Canada, though the carrier also hoped to attract members of the large Filipino community in Las Vegas.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The third wing of Concourse D, along with a ramp control tower, opened in April 2005.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Two years later, a consolidated rental car facility began operations.<ref name="rentalcar">Template:Cite news</ref> The fourth and final wing of Concourse D was added in September 2008.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the same month, US Airways closed the night hub due to the 2000s energy crisis. The airline had merged with America West in 2005.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> US Airways shut its crew base at McCarran in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By 2012, the company had eliminated all routes except for those to its hubs in Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Phoenix and its focus city at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

New tower under construction, July 2013

Fearing McCarran would soon exceed its capacity, the Clark County Commission began work on Terminal 3 in 2005. The economy was doing well, and Terminal 2 had become congested. Although the economy later entered a recession, the county chose to proceed with the project.<ref name="rj622">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The airport's cargo facility was located within the Terminal 3 site, so it was replaced by the Marnell Air Cargo Center, which opened in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="marnellshowsoff">Template:Cite news</ref> The new terminal was inaugurated in June 2012, replacing Terminal 2.<ref name="rj622" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It cost $2.4 billion and was the largest public works project in Nevada.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2013, Philippine Airlines discontinued its route to Las Vegas.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2016, Terminal 2 was demolished,<ref name="rj622" /> and a new control tower and Terminal Radar Approach Control facility were completed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At Template:Convert tall, it was the second tallest in the country when completed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2017, the airport equipped seven gates in Concourse D to receive international flights and built a tunnel to connect them to the customs facility in Terminal 3.<ref name="dgatesintl">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> LATAM Airlines Brasil added a seasonal route to São Paulo, McCarran's first direct link to South America, in June 2018.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the control tower was closed for several days after a controller tested positive for the virus, leading to many delays and cancellations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The following month, the decrease in traffic caused by the pandemic prompted the closure of all the gates in Concourse B and Terminal 3.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Concourse B reopened in the summer, and the E gates in Terminal 3 subsequently reopened in July 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In February 2021, the Clark County Commission voted unanimously to rename the airport after U.S. senator Harry Reid of Nevada. The commissioners believed that Pat McCarran had left a legacy of anti-Semitism and racism.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The airport was officially renamed in December 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Facilities

Baggage claim carousels in Terminal 1

Slot machines in Concourse A

Harry Reid International Airport has four runways:<ref name="faa">Template:Cite web</ref>

• 1L/19R: Template:Convert
• 1R/19L: Template:Convert
• 8L/26R: Template:Convert
• 8R/26L: Template:Convert

The runways are made of concrete. 1L, 26R, and 26L have a category I instrument landing system with distance measuring equipment.<ref name="faa" /> 8L/26R is the second-longest civil runway in the country, after Denver International Airport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The airport has a total of 110 gates across two passenger terminals, which are numbered 1 and 3, and a satellite concourse called Concourse D. Terminal 1 contains three concourses labeled A, B, and C. Terminal 3 houses the E gates and handles international arrivals.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Terminal 3 and Concourse D are able to receive international flights, and a tunnel links the international gates in Concourse D to the customs checkpoint.<ref name="dgatesintl" /> Of these international gates, Concourse D has a 3-jetway stand (D21/22) that can accommodate an Airbus A380, the largest commercial airplane in the world.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There is an airside tram system with three lines. The green and blue lines connect the central part of Terminal 1 with Concourses C and D, respectively. The red line runs between Terminal 3 and Concourse D.<ref name="LASTerminalTram">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1968, slot machines were first installed at the airport. The Las Vegas and Reno airports are the only two airports in the United States with slot machines.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Terminal 1 and Concourse D also house exhibits of the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum, which covers the history of aviation in southern Nevada.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Airlines unload their freight at the Marnell Air Cargo Center, which can handle Template:Convert of cargo.<ref name="marnellshowsoff" /> Janet Air flights to secret military installations operate from a dedicated terminal building.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The airport also has a parking lot where the public can watch aircraft take off and land.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Maverick Helicopters and Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters each operate their own terminal at Harry Reid Airport for sightseeing flights. The Maverick terminal covers Template:Convert, and the Sundance terminal occupies Template:Convert. The Papillon terminal was established in 1997.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Statistics

Gates at Terminal 3 of the airport.

Main corridor at Terminal 3 of the airport.

Check-in counters at Terminal 3 of the airport.

Domestic arrivals area at Terminal 3 of the airport.

Domestic arrivals area at Terminal 3 of the airport.

In 2024, a record 58,447,782 million travelers passed through Reid Airport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The airport also had 613,973 aircraft movements and handled 252,898,593 million pounds of cargo.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from LAS (January 2024 - December 2024)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rank	City	Passengers	Carriers
1	Los Angeles, California	1,351,000	Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, Sun Country, United
2	Denver, Colorado	1,106,000	Frontier, Southwest, United
3	Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas	982,000	American, Frontier, Spirit, Sun Country
4	Seattle/Tacoma, Washington	951,000	Alaska, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit
5	Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Arizona	854,000	American, Frontier, JSX, Spirit, Southwest
6	Atlanta, Georgia	851,000	Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit
7	Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois	806,000	American, Southwest, Spirit, United
8	San Francisco, California	798,000	Alaska, Frontier, Southwest, United
9	San Diego, California	762,000	Alaska, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit
10	Sacramento, California	688,000	Delta, Southwest, Spirit

Busiest international routes from LAS (July 2022 – June 2023)<ref name="intlpax">Template:Cite web</ref>

Rank	City	Passengers	Carriers
1	Toronto–Pearson, Canada	507,718	Air Canada, Canada Jetlines, Flair, Porter, WestJet
2	London–Heathrow, United Kingdom	370,436	British Airways, Virgin Atlantic
3	Mexico City, Mexico	354,991	Aeroméxico, VivaAerobús, Volaris
4	Vancouver, Canada	348,474	Air Canada, Flair, WestJet
5	Calgary, Canada	345,325	Flair, WestJet
6	Guadalajara, Mexico	189,774	Volaris
7	Edmonton, Canada	187,382	Flair, WestJet
8	Montréal–Trudeau, Canada	140,984	Air Canada
9	Amsterdam, Netherlands	118,900	KLM
10	Frankfurt, Germany	101,084	Condor, Discover Airlines

Airline market share

Largest airlines at LAS
(September 2023 - August 2024)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rank	Airline	Passengers	Share
1	Southwest Airlines	21,450,000	40.54%
2	Spirit Airlines	8,106,000	15.32%
3	Delta Air Lines	5,018,000	9.48%
4	American Airlines	4,313,000	8.15%
5	United Airlines	4,036,000	7.63%
	Other	9,989,000	18.88%

Annual traffic

LAS Airport Historical Passenger Traffic 1970–Present<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Year	Passengers	Year	Passengers	Year	Passengers	Year	Passengers
1970	4,086,973	1985	10,924,047	2000	36,865,866	2015	45,318,788
1971	4,102,285	1986	12,428,748	2001	35,179,960	2016	47,368,219
1972	4,608,764	1987	15,582,302	2002	35,009,011	2017	48,430,118
1973	5,397,017	1988	16,231,199	2003	36,265,932	2018	49,646,118
1974	5,944,433	1989	17,106,948	2004	41,441,531	2019	51,528,524
1975	6,500,806	1990	19,089,684	2005	44,267,370	2020	22,200,595
1976	7,685,817	1991	20,171,969	2006	46,304,376	2021	39,710,493
1977	7,964,687	1992	20,912,585	2007	47,729,527	2022	52,668,109‡
1978	9,110,842	1993	22,492,156	2008	44,074,642	2023	57,644,113‡
1979	10,574,127	1994	26,850,486	2009	40,469,012	2024	58,447,782
1980	10,302,106	1995	28,027,239	2010	39,757,359	2025
1981	9,469,727	1996	30,459,965	2011	41,481,204	2026
1982	9,438,648	1997	30,315,094	2012	41,667,596	2027
1983	10,312,842	1998	30,227,287	2013	41,857,059	2028
1984	10,141,809	1999	33,715,129	2014	42,885,350	2029

‡ = Revised data

• From 1970 to the end of 2024, 1,538,394,375 passengers (enplaned+deplaned) have passed through Harry Reid Int'l Airport, an annual average of 27,970,807 passengers per year.

Ground transportation

Vehicles reach the airport via Paradise Road and Russell Road from the north and via the Harry Reid Airport Connector, which branches off from the Las Vegas Beltway, from the south.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A 5,000-space consolidated rental car facility is located Template:Convert away and is linked to the terminals by shuttle buses.<ref name="rentalcar" /> Buses also shuttle passengers between Terminals 1 and 3.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada's public bus system serves the airport.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Accidents and incidents

• On November 15, 1956, Trans World Airlines Flight 163, a Martin 4-0-4, crash-landed at then McCarran Field during an attempted single-engine go-around after takeoff returning to the airport. Out of 38 passengers and crew, 16 received minor injuries. There was no fire, but the aircraft was destroyed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• On the evening of November 15, 1964, Bonanza Air Lines Flight 114, a Fairchild F-27 turboprop flying from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to McCarran International Airport, crashed into the top of a hill in desert country about Template:Convert SSW of Las Vegas in poor weather conditions, all 26 passengers and three crew perished. The probable cause was the misreading of a faulty, outdated approach chart by the captain which resulted in a premature descent before impacting terrain.<ref>Template:ASN accident</ref>
• On April 16, 1965, a Bonanza Air Lines Fairchild F-27 on a training flight, cartwheeled off the runway at LAS because of an asymmetrical flap condition on takeoff. Both occupants survived, but the aircraft was substantially damaged and was written off.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• On December 9, 1968, a Lockheed L-1649 Starliner operated by Fly By Night Safaris crashed back onto the runway at LAS during takeoff when a partial loss of power forced the pilot to carry out a belly landing. Parts of the propellers broke off as they contacted the runway, puncturing the fuselage. There were no fatalities among the 104 passengers and crew on board, but the aircraft was destroyed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• On October 24, 1978, a Learjet 24 operated by Qualitron Aero Services Inc. crashed at LAS because of a premature rotation when one engine was cut after V1 speed after takeoff. Both occupants survived, but the aircraft was substantially damaged and written off.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• On August 17, 1999, a British Aerospace 125 operated by DP Air was severely damaged after it was forced to land at LAS with the landing gear retracted because of a loss of its hydraulic systems to extend the gear. All eight occupants survived with no injuries, but the aircraft was destroyed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• On September 8, 2015, British Airways Flight 2276, a Boeing 777-200 destined for Gatwick Airport, suffered an uncontained left engine failure during the takeoff roll because of a cracked compressor disk, and the pilots aborted takeoff. A fire broke out in the affected engine after the aircraft stopped, and an evacuation of all 170 passengers and crew was performed on the runway. There was one serious injury and 19 minor injuries during the evacuation. The aircraft was severely damaged by the engine fire, but the plane was repaired and later placed back into service.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• On October 5, 2024, a Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 operating as Flight 1326 from San Diego, caught fire while landing. The pilots declared an emergency and the flight landed without injuries to its 197 occupants.<ref>https://abcnews.go.com/US/frontier-airlines-jet-catches-fire-landing-las-vegas/story?id=114534255</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In popular culture

Harry Reid International Airport - under its former name, McCarran International Airport - appears in the 2010 videogame Fallout: New Vegas. In game, it is often referred to as Camp McCarran, due to the presence of New California Republic troops using it as a military base.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Additionally, the airport appears at the end of the 1988 film Midnight Run, and the end of the 2007 film Ocean's Thirteen.Template:Citation needed

See also

• Henderson Executive Airport
• List of airports in Nevada
• North Las Vegas Airport
• Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport
• Transportation in Las Vegas

References

Works cited

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
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External links

• Template:Official website
• Template:FAA-diagram
• Template:FAA-procedures
• Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum Official site; Template:Webarchive