McCarran seen as fifth fastest-growing U.S. airport in next decade

McCarran International Airport will be the fifth fastest-growing airport in the country over the next 10 years, a noted aviation expert said Tuesday.

Mike Boyd, president and CEO of Evergreen, Colo.-based Boyd Group International, told the more than 400 people attending his Aviation Forecast Summit at Bellagio that McCarran can expect 27.4 million enplanements by 2024, a 22.8 percent increase over projected 2015 arrivals.

Boyd made the projection in the closing session of his two-day conference that drew executives from airports, airlines and aircraft manufacturers from all over the country.

If Boyd's projections are on target, the total would be close to McCarran's 55 million capacity. Boyd's figures show arrivals, but McCarran tallies arrivals and departures when figuring passenger volume.

In addition, the number of passengers isn't the same as the number of enplanements because some passengers make multiple enplanements on a trip if connecting to a connecting flight.

McCarran's growth is projected to trail only Charlotte, N.C., Los Angeles International, Chicago's O'Hare International and Midway International airports for percentage growth.

Boyd's projected growth for McCarran wouldn't change its No. 9 ranking among the nation's busiest airports because the eight airports ahead of McCarran also are expected to grow.

The top growth market, Charlotte, is expected to expand by 32.5 percent, primarily because of the integration of US Airways into American Airlines later this year and the resulting anticipated additional domestic flights at that hub airport.

Las Vegas' growth is expected to be bolstered by a mix of additional seats by domestic and international carriers through more flights and larger aircraft and new service from international carriers. Boyd believes Las Vegas will receive nonstop flights from China within three years and airline development recruiters from McCarran and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority are working to attract additional lift from Asia and new service from South America.

Nationwide, enplanements are expected to increase 16.9 percent to 511.3 million over 10 years, Boyd said.

One possible hurdle to that expansion, Boyd said, is if the nation's pilot shortage becomes a reality. Boyd said if a pilot shortage is a reality in the years ahead, it could put a 5 percent dent in the projection — about 30 million enplanements.

In an earlier session Tuesday, Clark County Department of Aviation Director Rosemary Vassiliadis said in a panel discussion that her biggest challenge in managing McCarran is balancing the need to keep the facility fresh while balancing the cost per enplaned passenger.

"How do you keep the cost as low as possible on a regular basis?" Vassiliadis asked.

At McCarran, Vassiliadis takes major capital improvement projects to an airline committee, which reviews the costs passed on to its members.

Contact reporter Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Find @RickVelotta on Twitter.