Las Vegas airport sees big increase in international travelers

More than 5.2 million passengers traveled through Harry Reid International Airport in May, a new milestone for the year and an increase from the same time one year ago.

The increase can be largely attributed to increases in international travel, according to monthly data released from the airport and Clark County Department of Aviation. There was a roughly 22 percent increase in international travel compared to May 2023.

The millions of arriving and departing passengers at Las Vegas’ airport last month resulted in a 5.2 percent increase in passenger volumes year over year. Out of the total number of passengers, about 351,400 arrived at and departed from international destinations. Domestic travel was up slightly, a 4.3 percent increase to almost 4.8 million.

For the first five months of 2024, Reid’s passenger traffic is up 2.4 percent to 23.8 million passengers.

Discount carriers continue to lead service at the airport, according to the monthly report. Dallas-based Southwest Airlines brought 1.9 million passengers to and from Las Vegas in May, up 9.3 percent from the previous year. Second was Spirit Airlines, which saw a decrease in passengers of 6.8 percent to roughly 704,000.

Meanwhile, third and fourth-leading carriers Delta Air Lines and American Airlines saw 13.4 and 12.3 percent, respectively, increases in passenger travel.

One airport category continuing to show declines in May and throughout the year was west side charter terminals and helicopters. Passenger counts were down nearly 2 percent for the month and 6.6 for the year-to-date, according to the airport.

Contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.