McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas (later renamed Harry Reid International Airport) is recovering well these days and has the numbers to prove it. The airport, which released its March number on Monday, was proud to have carried almost a million more passengers in March than in February.
Las Vegas as a city has plans to fully reopen by June 1st and slowly increase from 80% capacity in May. Photo: McCarran International Airport
With non-essential vacation travel hardest hit in the global health crisis, Las Vegas suffered badly as a vacation destination. Now that the vaccination effort continues to make significant strides, Las Vegas is slowly opening up again and welcoming the country with open arms.
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A look at McCarran’s latest passenger numbers
The biggest news for McCarran International Airport in Los Vegas is the increase of one million passengers from the previous month. In March 2021, 2,527,062 travelers passed through Terminals 1 and 3 of the airport, in the previous month 1,576,494. This corresponds to an increase of 60.3%.
While it’s by no means a full recovery, there is still something to celebrate. The airport’s annual number (YTD) was 5,576,410 at the end of March. Compared to the same period in the previous year, the airport had already handled 9,882,733 travelers, a decrease of -43.6%.
From WestJet to British Airways to Hainan Airlines, McCarran would see a wide range of international airlines in “normal times”. Photo: McCarran International Airport
If we break down the domestic / international travel numbers compared to YTD 2021 and YTD 2020, domestic travel is down 39.8% while international travel is far worse at 93.2%. When compared between February 2021 and March 2021, domestic travel has increased by 60% and accounts for a whopping 99% of all trips. International travel makes up the rest. While it’s still a tiny fraction of what it should be, international travel more than doubled from February to March, a sign that things are moving in the right direction.
Which airlines serve Las Vegas the most?
Las Vegas companies began closing in mid-March 2020. This was soon followed by a nationwide shutdown days later, on March 19. So comparing the numbers for March 2021 to the numbers for March 2020 should give us a good idea of how things are going to recover. Here’s what the numbers have to say:
- Southwest: 892,517 were processed in March 2021, compared to 606,650 in March 2020. An increase of 47.1%.
- Ghost: 328,310 were processed in March 2021, compared to 263,768 in March 2020. An increase of 24.5%.
- Border: 285,537 were processed in March 2021, compared to 178,153 in March 2020. An increase of 60.3%.
- American: 275,684 were processed in March 2021, compared to 189,426 in March 2020. An increase of 45.5%.
- Delta: 216,775 were processed in March 2021, compared to 206,919 in March 2020. An increase of 4.8%.
American Airlines served 45.5% more passengers in March 2021 than in March 2020, when much of the city closed later in the month. Photo: McCarran International Airport
Las Vegas continues to open
Las Vegas has been steadily reopening its economy over the past few months. The Los Angeles Times notes that restaurants, bars, retailers and gaming floors were able to increase their capacity from 35% on March 15 to 50%. On May 1st, this number is expected to rise again to 80%. The governor of Nevada still has a goal of fully reopening by June 1st.
With the number of vaccinations largely possible, authorities are hoping that vaccinations for casino staff will allow capacity increases in these facilities.
Is Las Vegas on your list of destinations to visit? Let us know in the comments.
