Air traffic at McCarran International Airport has slowed by over 60%
 
Air traffic at McCarran International Airport has slowed by over 60%

After a traffic controller tested positive for coronavirus, the control tower at McCarran International Airport was closed, forcing the Las Vegas airport to rely on a backup system with limited capacity, Thursday, March 19, 2020. (Michael Quine/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

McCarran to remain open despite closures – Video
 
McCarran to remain open despite closures – Video

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.

McCarran International Airport’s Terminal 1 loses power
 
McCarran International Airport’s Terminal 1 loses power

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.

McCarran International: Airport, technology incubator
 
McCarran International: Airport, technology incubator

A Clark County, Nevada, representative touted the role of McCarran International Airport as a technology innovator on Monday. The airport owns and operates all 20,000 pieces of hardware on site, which includes computers, signs, boarding passes and boarding gate scanners. The airport is used to test new technologies like bag tags that emit electromagnetic waves for tracking.

Passengers Discuss Allegiant Air
 
Passengers Discuss Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air passengers voice their views on the airline at McCarran International Airport on April 16, 2018. (Bailey Schulz/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Las Vegas’ top 10 business stories of 2017
 
Las Vegas’ top 10 business stories of 2017

Las Vegas’ top 10 business stories of 2017 10. SpeedVegas crash brings lawsuits and an OSHA fine 9. Construction on Resorts World Las Vegas gets busy 8. McCarran International Airport on pace to shatter record of 47 million passengers 7. More Strip hotels join the pay-for-parking bandwagon 6. Wynn Resorts snaps up 38 acres on the site of the Alon project 5. Fontainebleau finally sold, new owner calls work in progress Project Blue 4. Caesars Entertainment emerges from 2-year odyssey through bankruptcy court 3. Faraday Future abandons planned site of manufacturing plant at Apex 2. Raiders formally announce move to Las Vegas, conduct groundbreaking Nov. 13 1. Oct. 1 shooting leaves 58 dead, causes short-term uneasiness in tourism industry while long-term effects remain uncertain

Dead cougar found in luggage in Las Vegas
 
Dead cougar found in luggage in Las Vegas

A man had a dead cougar in his luggage at McCarran International Airport. TSA agents found the carcass Tuesday night.

Spirit to offer new nonstop flights from Las Vegas to the Sunshine State
 
Spirit to offer new nonstop flights from Las Vegas to the Sunshine State

Spirit Airlines will launch nonstop flights from Las Vegas to two Florida airports beginning April 12. Spirit will offer daily flights between McCarran airport and Tampa, along with Orlando, as well as 9 other new routes across the U.S. Over the past two years, Spirit has grown to become the fifth busiest airline at McCarran International Airport. Mark Kopczak, Spirit Airlines vice president

Bats take flight at Las Vegas airport
 
Bats take flight at Las Vegas airport

Mexican freetail bats took up residence about 25 to 30 years ago at McCarran International Airport’s employee parking garage. They roost within 2-inch nooks behind concrete panels lining the southern end of structure. Brett Riddle, a professor for UNLV’s School of Life Sciences There’s no official count of McCarran’s bat population, but they could number in the thousands. The bats primarily eat insects. They’ve been spotted feeding on bugs flying around the light beam shooting from Luxor. Cris Tomlinson, a biologist for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Bats take flight at Las Vegas airport
 
Bats take flight at Las Vegas airport

Mexican freetail bats took up residence about 25 to 30 years ago at McCarran International Airport’s employee parking garage. They roost within 2-inch nooks behind concrete panels lining the southern end of structure. “They don’t fly in your hair, they stay away from the airplanes and they tend to stay out of your way.” There’s no official count of McCarran’s bat population, but they could number in thousands. The bats primarily eat insects. They’ve been spotted feeding on bugs flying around the light beam shooting from Luxor. “They seem to be doing quite well at the airport.”

Las Vegas airport on course for record passenger traffic
 
Las Vegas airport on course for record passenger traffic

For a 6th straight month, McCarran International Airport logged more than 4 million airline passengers. The numbers are from August, the Clark County Aviation Department reported. More than 4.24 million airline passengers arrived or departed from the nation’s 8th-busiest airport last month. That’s a 3.6 percent jump from the same period in 2016, a spokeswoman said. County aviation director Rosemary Vassiliadis has said she believes McCarran will set a record this year. The current record of 47.8 million airline passengers was set in 2007.

Spirit Airline pilots protest outside McCarran
 
Spirit Airline pilots protest outside McCarran

Off-duty pilots from Spirit Airlines picketed outside McCarran International Airport as a measure to urge management to resume labor contract negotiations. (Gabriella Benavidez/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Las Vegas morning update for Wednesday, September 6th
 
Las Vegas morning update for Wednesday, September 6th

1. A flight bound for New York made an emergency landing at McCarran this morning after one of its engines caught fire. Delta Flight 1057 departed from McCarran about 11:10 p.m. Tuesday night, before landing at 12:45 a.m. No injuries were reported, and the flight was expected to leave this morning.

2. The man accused of kidnapping a California woman was arrested Tuesday night, after the woman was found Monday night at Railroad Pass Casino. Virginia Paris’ ex-boyfriend Joseph Hetzel was arrested after police found a stolen vehicle from Mesquite near East Bruner Avenue. He was booked into the Henderson Detention Center and faces felony kidnapping and stalking charges.

3. Clark County commissioners voted to ban both possession and advertisement of marijuana at McCarran International Airport on Tuesday. The ban extends to all airport-owned property throughout Clark County, including parcels leased to private businesses. The ban does not apply to to vinyl-wrapped advertising on taxis and personal vehicles picking up or dropping off passengers.

Las Vegas morning update for Friday, August 25th
 
Las Vegas morning update for Friday, August 25th

1. The Mayweather-McGregor fight is tomorrow night, and airport officials are bracing for an influx of private jets. Private plane traffic usually jumps during major fight weekends, so this weekend pilots and plane owners are being asked to make reservations. Officials are hoping to avoid the traffic issues experienced during the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight when a taxiway had to be converted into a makeshift parking lot.

2. The driver arrested in the fatal crash that killed a Shadow Ridge student in February was sentenced to eight to 20 years in prison on Thursday. David Fensch pleaded guilty to DUI resulting in death in June, after admitting to police he had taken Xanax and consumed “four drinks” of Captain Morgan rum before plowing into the back of 16-year-old Jaelan Fajardo’s car. Fensch had 4 previous DUIs.

3. The man arrested after attacking a mannequin with a hammer downtown last year, was ordered to spend eight to 20 years behind bars on Thursday. Shane Schindler pleaded guilty to attempted murder in June, after police set up the mannaquin as a decoy to look like a sleeping homeless man. Detectives linked the attack to the deaths of two homeless men who were attacked while sleeping in the same area, but did not file charges. (Rochelle Richards/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Las Vegas morning update for Monday, August 21st
 
Las Vegas morning update for Monday, August 21st

1. Entertainer Jerry Lewis died Sunday at the age of 91. Lewis performed alongside Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin among others and was the national chairman for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The Lewis family confirmed that Jerry died in his Las Vegas home.

2. A geographical shift on Earth’s magnetic poles has prompted the FAA to redesignate two runways at McCarran International Airport. It might not seem like a big deal on the surface, but pilots and air traffic control rely on navigational aids based on magnetic headings. The FAA re-evaluates shifts every five years.

3. Cloud cover in the Las Vegas valley could block today’s view of the solar eclipse. Cloud coverage will range from 75 to 95 percent through the valley. The eclipse is expected to peak just before 10:30 a.m. today, with the moon covering just over 70 percent of the sun.

Las Vegas morning update for Thursday, August 17th
 
Las Vegas morning update for Thursday, August 17th

1. A Las Vegas police officer arrested last year on child pornography charges had died. Ruben Delgadillo was booked last August on five counts of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. Delgadillo’s lawyer confirmed this his client had died, but did not provide any further details.

2. University of Nevada, Reno is sticking by it’s decision to not fire or expel student Peter Cvjetanovic after participating in white nationalist rallies over the weekend in Charlottesville. A petition on charge.org has reached over 32,000 signatures and states, “The decision to keep Peter sends an important message to the rest of the non-white-male student body: at the University of Nevada, Reno, none of you matter.” Chairman of the state of Board of Regents Kevin Page said UNR’s decision will not be affected no matter how many people sign the petition.

3. A California woman will go home $1.6 million dollars richer. Sandra A. placed a $5 bet at McCarran International Airport and won the jackpot on IGT’s “Wheel of Fortune Pink Diamonds Game”. The jackpot comes just days after a California man won $11.8 million in downtown Las Vegas.

Discount carriers gaining popularity
 
Discount carriers gaining popularity

Ultra, low-cost carriers such as Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant are becoming popular with travelers due to their low prices on tickets and other services. (Gabriella Benavidez/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Las Vegas morning update for Tuesday, August 15th
 
Las Vegas morning update for Tuesday, August 15th

1. The Las Vegas Stadium Authority will meet with Raiders officials Thursday to discuss details of the $1.9 billion project. The Clark County Commission will dive into parking, traffic, drainage and emergency services in it’s meeting Wednesday in anticipation of the authority’s financial meeting. The Raiders have not submitted documents prior to the meeting, so exact dollar amounts for specific projects are unclear.

2. The University of Nevada Reno will not expel a student that marched in the Charlottesville white nationalist rally over the weekend. A petition on change.org calling to expel Peter Cvjetanovic received nearly 25,000 signatures, but university president Marc Johnson that there is no constitutional or legal reason to expel Cvjetanovic.

3. High temperatures have prompted changes in airport schedules. According to a study by Columbia University, travelers can expect airline changes well into the future due to rising temperatures, thinning air and difficulty with planes taking off. Dozens of flights were rescheduled or cancelled last month due to a heat wave in Las Vegas.

Paper Plane Palooza
 
Paper Plane Palooza

More than 70 children from local Boys & Girls Clubs took part in the Fifth Annual McCarran Paper Plane Palooza, a paper airplane folding and flying competition. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones/Las Vegas Review-Journal)