Reid Airport expansion plans call for more passenger gates, could reduce delays

A plan to expand and modernize Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas — the seventh-busiest airport in North America — received an informal go-ahead from Clark County commissioners Tuesday. The proposal, presented by County Department of Aviation officials, would increase the number of gates at the facility’s oldest terminal, improve passenger access at the 12-year-old Terminal 3, and add new parking areas and facilities for transportation services while upgrading multiple roads. Officials say it could alleviate delays in arrivals and departures. The renovation and expansion plans would allow the Department of Aviation to squeeze as much space as possible out of the landlocked airport’s existing footprint while the new Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport is created in the Ivanpah Valley just north of Primm and 30 miles south of Reid. Ivanpah was first envisioned 24 years ago through federal legislation that allowed for the sale of 6,500 acres of federally owned land. The most recent timeline has the airport pegged for completion in 2037. Reid Airport is coming off successive record-setting years, drawing 57.6m passengers last year — shattering 2022’s previous mark of 52.6m passengers. Between May and July, the airport averaged more than 5m passengers a month. The highest passenger figure came in October 2023 — 5.4m passengers.<br/>