Las Vegas’ Harry Reid Airport Hits Record Passengers in 2023 with One Month to Spare

Article ByDavid Weir

January 4, 2024

Spread the Word:

Posted in: Nevada Gambling News, US Casino News, US Gambling News

Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas has set a new all-time high for passenger traffic in 2023, data from Clark County Department of Aviation has confirmed.

That’s with one month’s extra numbers still to be added, as the regulator only released November’s data last week.

By the end of November 2023, the airport had seen a total of 52.8 million passengers. This exceeded the previous record of 52.6 million set in 2022, with December’s numbers not yet released.

Through the end of November, passenger numbers were up 9.4% year-on-year. This relentless rise in visitors over 2023 coincided with the record revenues at Nevada casinos of the Las Vegas Strip, especially in November.

The historic Las Vegas Grand Prix boosted international visitor numbers significantly. It saw record handles at Nevada retail sportsbooks, and a large uptick in baccarat play – a game popular with high-limit European players.

Interestingly, overall visitation to Sin City only grew by 0.8% over November, as driving visitors from California and other neighboring states fell during the busy run-up to the Grand Prix.

A Historic November

Despite slower growth in overall visitors to the city, November 2023 emerged as a historic month for Harry Reid International. It saw 4.8 million passengers pass through, a 6.1% increase from November 2022, and an all-time record for the month.

This surge was significantly influenced by Las Vegas hosting the Formula One race, an event that proved to be a spectacular race that captivated racing enthusiasts and sports bettors alike. The NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders also played three home games at Allegiant Stadium during the month, further contributing to the heightened travel activity.

Notably, international visitors were up considerably, with an 11.6% increase in November to 265,664 passengers, while domestic travel rose 5.7% to 4.4 million passengers. That helped to offset the not- insignificant decline in vehicle traffic, as visitors from California stayed away during the busy (and expensive) Grand Prix period.

“With 4.8 million passengers during the month of November, Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) has already broken the previous annual record set in 2022,” said Clark County Director of Aviation Rosemary Vasiliadis.

“LAS connects the world to Las Vegas, whether that be for work, vacation, visiting loved ones, or attending a sporting or special event. While we will not have a final 2023 total until next month, the LAS team is already focused on a busy start to 2024.”

Vasiliadis went on to highlight the upcoming schedule of big events in Sin City, including the return of the consumer electronics trade show CES and February’s Super Bowl LVIII.

Sin City Booming

This record-breaking passenger traffic fits in with wider indicators of Las Vegas’s booming tourism economy.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority announced a new record for average hotel rates, which hit $249 in November, with average rates at the Las Vegas Strip’s casino resorts reaching $270 due to the Formula One event.

All this activity helped power the city’s casinos to their second-highest win of all–time at more than $820 million, contributing to the state’s second-highest win of $1.37 billion.

Southwest Airlines continues to lead airline traffic in and out of Las Vegas, carrying 1.8 million passengers in November and 19 million so far through the end of November, more than twice the number carried by the next-biggest carrier. The top five carriers at Reid Airport are Southwest, Spirit, Delta, United, and American.