Clark County Department of Aviation officials confirmed Thursday that Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas has seen the largest flow of passengers in its history in October, with an estimated 5.2 million travelers having arrived or departed, shattering July’s record of 4.9 million.
Airport officials had expected a robust fall travel season when airlines announced capacity increases with new routes and larger aircraft flying into Las Vegas earlier this year.
October’s record passenger count, which was 23.7% higher than in October 2021, boosted the 10-month total number of passengers to 43.7 million, a 37.3% increase over last year, and puts Reid within reach of 2017’s record of 51.5 million.
By all accounts, 2022 has shown significant growth with the airport’s top five months by passenger volume occurring since June. Those months include October (5.2 million), July (4.9 million), September (4.8 million), June (4.7 million) and August (4.6 million).
Most of the passenger volume in October came from domestic carriers. A 19.8% increase in domestic passengers brought the monthly total to 4.8 million. The international passenger count rose 178.9% to 286,000.
Slots at Harry Reid airport
Dallas-based Southwest supplied the most passengers in October, up 22.1% to 1.7 million. The top five also included Spirit, up 48.7% to 756,679, Frontier, up 17.5% to 559,081, Delta, up 4.7% to 414,086, and American Airlines, down 6.2% to 404,086. Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air’s numbers were up 17.5% to 202,313 passengers.
As reported by Las Vegas Review-Journal, Clark County Department of Aviation Director Rosemary Vassiliadis stated the number is also indicative of local residents flying more frequently, which produces a lack of airport parking. Plans to add more spaces next year are currently underway.
“Serving more than 5 million passengers in a single month is a milestone achievement and is further evidence that Las Vegas remains among the most in-demand destinations in the world,” she said, and noted that the numbers are also a consequence of local people “choosing to travel at a high volume.”
— Harry Reid International Airport (@LASairport) December 1, 2022
Vassiliadis said that, in order to accommodate the extra vehicles and to enhance the airport customer experience, Reid International will begin a months-long project in early 2023 to increase public parking options in and near its garages.
Thursday’s announcement came as work crews continued the three-phase, $7 million project to change the airport’s signage, letterheads, stationary, business cards and concessionaire-related work from its previous name, McCarran International, to Harry Reid International. Workers were spotted swapping out signs at Tropicana Avenue and Koval Lane Thursday morning.
October marked the first time passenger numbers exceeded 5 million. But the record month for airline passengers also accompanies another tourism all-time high for the City of Las Vegas. In October, those visiting Sin City paid record amounts for hotels, according to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
The average room rate increased by 20% — from $173.68 to $209.89 — from September to October, reports KTNV. That average is more than 55% higher than October 2019. Visitor numbers also jumped about 7% from 2021 to 2022, to rival pre-pandemic numbers. And gaming wins surpassed $1 billion for the 20th month in a row.
