Las Vegas’ airport continues record 2019 pace with strong April

April was another high-flying month for Las Vegas’ airport as 4.28 million travelers passed through its gates.

The number represents a 2.3 percent increase over April 2018’s 4.19 million passengers traveling through McCarran International Airport, the Clark County Department of Aviation announced Wednesday. The total is made up of all passengers arriving and departing McCarran.

This marks the busiest April on record and marks the third-consecutive year the month has surpassed 4 million passengers at McCarran, according to Christine Crews, airport spokeswoman.

With the latest year-over-year monthly increase, 2019 has now seen 16.23 million passengers pass through Las Vegas’ airport, a 2.5 percent increase over the same time last year. The number keeps this year on pace to best the record passenger count of 49.7 million seen in 2018, which beat the previous record of 48.5 million passengers set in 2017.

Southwest Airlines continues to move the highest passenger volume at McCarran, with 1.53 million people, a 0.6 percent increase over April 2018. Of the top five carriers, Spirit Airlines had the largest year-over-year increase with 401,241 passengers last month, a 23.1 percent increase over April 2018’s 325, 892. For the year Spirit has seen 1.48 million passengers in 2019, up 21.5 percent.

JetBlue Airways saw the biggest year-over-year drop, falling 18.1 percent and going from 112,283 in April 2018 to 95,685 this April. Alaska Airlines saw the second largest year-over-year decrease, dropping 12.1 percent and going from 202, 765 passengers in April 2018 to 178,270 passengers last month.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.