The federal government must act quickly to restore international flights to the United States.
That is the message Rosemary Vassiliadis, director of aviation at McCarran International Airport, gave during a testimony ahead of a hearing in the Senate subcommittee on Tuesday.
Vassiliadis, who heads the Clark County Department of Aviation, told the Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion Subcommittee, led by Senator Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., That resuming international air travel is a critical step in supporting the recovery of tourism in southern Nevada is a -based economy.
“At our peak in 2019, Las Vegas enjoyed non-stop service to and from 11 different countries around the world. Now that number has dropped to one: Mexico, ”said Vassiliadis. “In the first four months of 2021, our international volume was less than 80,000 passengers. However, there is hope on the horizon. Almost every week I or members of my team hear from representatives of international airlines expressing their interest in a quick resumption of flights to Las Vegas. “
The international visit to Las Vegas reached 3.8 million passengers in 2019, before the effects of the coronavirus pandemic set in and airlines stopped flying internationally to slow the spread of the virus.
When international non-stop flights reached their peak, McCarran was regularly served from the UK, Germany, South Korea, China, Panama, Israel, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France and Canada in addition to Mexico.
Vassiliadis was one of three witnesses to testify before the committee and the only one directly related to aviation.
Additional statements were received from William Talbert III, President and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Christopher Thompson, President and CEO of Brand USA, a national tourism promotion bureau.
“These airlines ask us directly: What is the US doing to reopen travel?” Said Vassiliadis. “When will our airline be able to bring vacationers and congress participants to Las Vegas again? To take advantage of this opportunity – ideally in time for the 2021 summer travel season – we need immediate, active leadership from the US government. “
Vassiliadis quoted the International Civil Aviation Organization, a UN agency, with developing a manual for testing and cross-border risk management measures.
“The ICAO is advocating a flexible approach to opening borders that adapts to real-time conditions such as vaccination rates and the severity of COVID-19 outbreaks at both destination and origin,” Vassiliadis told the committee. “The UK has implemented its own risk-based measures that have opened its borders to select countries – but not the United States in particular. The European Union is expanding a digital certification process to allow the free movement of people who have been vaccinated, have received a negative test result or have already recovered from COVID-19. “
But in the United States, a presidential proclamation bans almost all travel from certain countries, including European nations and the United Kingdom.
“This blanket approach unnecessarily cripples our economic productivity,” she said. “There is a better way and our nation must act quickly to implement existing solutions for the safe reception of international travelers.”
Vassiliadis admitted that it won’t be easy – or not cheap. She said Congress must allow investment to make changes in airport infrastructure, including health considerations arising from the pandemic.
This means higher fees in the form of passenger facility fees, or PFCs for short.
“The PFC cap has not kept pace with rising construction costs or inflation since it was last adjusted to $ 4.50 more than 20 years ago,” Vassiliadis told the panel. “Since then, its purchasing power has decreased by more than 40 percent. Adjusting the federal ceiling for local PFCs would reduce financial pressure and give airports the opportunity to use more local funds for their infrastructure needs.
“Such investments will then help airports attract new airlines and encourage existing ones to expand, thereby promoting competition and lowering airfares in their communities, all in ways that promote the safety, health and confidence of travelers,” she said.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.
