Las Vegas Airport Breaks Decade-Old Passenger Record Set Before Great RecessionMcCarran International Airport Saw 48.5M Passengers Last Year |
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It was the the busiest year in the airport’s nearly 70-year history.
The Clark County Department of Aviation said Monday that McCarran International Airport welcomed 48.5 million arriving and departing passengers in 2017. It marked the seventh consecutive year the airport posted a year-over-year increase. The 48.5 million was a 2.2 percent uptick from 2016. The gain was due almost entirely to domestic travelers, as international passenger volume was flat on the year. The Department reported that Southwest Airlines had more than a third of McCarran’s passengers.
The previous passenger record was set in 2007 at 47.7 million passengers.
Over the course of the year McCarran posted multiple all-time-high months, including the best December ever for a total of nine record-setting months in the calendar year. October 2017 had the highest single-month passenger volume in the airport’s history.
The Department also said that ground transportation set a new milestone of 5.4 million airport pick-ups by taxis and ride-share apps.
“McCarran is a nearly $30 billion economic engine and our passenger numbers serve as an indicator of the economic health and well-being of Southern Nevada,” said Rosemary A. Vassiliadis, director of the Clark County Department of Aviation. “It’s always exciting to see record numbers, but I feel this one is rather special for our entire community."
Vassiliadis added that the new passenger record is “a clear sign” of Las Vegas’ economic recovery after the financial crisis of 2007-09.
It is worth noting that the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said earlier this month that visitor volume to America’s gambling hub actually fell slightly last year. That’s according to preliminary data that includes visitor volume by motor vehicle.
Also earlier this month, the Nevada Gaming Control Board reported that the state’s largest casinos generated a record $26.17 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2017. That figure includes gambling winnings, hotel bookings and so on.
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