Weary travelers endured another day of widespread flight cancellations Wednesday as Southwest Airlines tried to “reset” its operations and federal officials called for the carrier to compensate its customers.
McCarran International Airport will remain open because it falls under “essential” business. The concerns that McCarran would close come after Gov. Steve Sisolak’s announcement that he ordered all nonessential business to close for 30 days to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
An American Airlines flight on its way to McCarran International Airport made an emergency landing at Nellis Air Force Base on Saturday afternoon. Flight 671 was diverted to the base because of wind conditions at the airport and low fuel levels, Nellis spokeswoman Rebekah Mattes said. American Airlines spokesman Josh Freed said there was no fuel leak, and the airplane had enough gas to get to McCarran. The airplane, which was on its way to Las Vegas from the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, had 194 people on board, including six crew members.
Aircraft continued to arrive and depart during a power outrage at McCarran International Airport’s Terminal 1 which did not affect the control tower but shutdown baggage claim and ticketing for about 90 m minutes.
Green metal bins have popped up at the nation’s eighth-busiest airport, creating a safe space for airline passengers to dispose of marijuana. Even though recreational marijuana is legal in Nevada, the drug is banned inside Clark County’s network of airports and security checkpoints. “Marijuana is not allowable anywhere inside the buildings, be it pre- or post-security,” airport spokeswoman Christine Crews said. About 20 so-called “amnesty boxes” were installed over the past week outside high-traffic areas of McCarran, Henderson Executive and North Las Vegas airports.
Allegiant Air Flight attendants picket in front of McCarran International Airport on Wednesday to highlight union efforts to settle a six-year contract fight. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
McCarran International Airport’s air traffic control tower, which opened in 1983, is taken down after new tower opens. (Michael Quine/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The CLEAR Biometric identity system is introduced at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. This identity system uses fingerprint and iris scans to identify a traveler.