Harry Reid International Airport is an international airport located in Nevada and is the main airport of the Las Vegas Valley, a metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Nevada, located approximately 8 km south of downtown Las Vegas. The airport is owned by the Clark County Commission and operated by the Clark County Aviation Department. The airport covers 2,800 acres of land.
The airport was built in 1942 and opened to airline flights in 1948. It has expanded and utilized various innovative technologies such as shared-use facilities. The airport has four runways and two passenger terminals. To the east of the passenger terminals is the Marnell Air Cargo Center, while fixed base operators and helicopter companies are located on the west side of the airport. The airport serves as a base for Allegiant Air, Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines. The port is especially heavily used by private jet passengers traveling to the casinos.
The airport is named after US Senator Harry Reid, who represented Nevada in the Senate from 1987 to 2017. Between 1968 and 2021, the airport was named McCarran International Airport.
United States of America private jet charter prices
Although Nevada Harry Reid Airport air charter fees depend on variables such as the number of passengers, departure airport, flight time, aircraft position, flight date, the prices for private jet charter from Istanbul → Las Vegas are as follows.
| Heavy Jet | 126.050 EUR |
| Long Range Jet | 152.800 EUR |
| VIP Airliner | 196.600 EUR |
These prices are average amounts and you can contact us on our flight reservation screen or by phone for the most accurate price information.
History of Las Vegas Harry Reid Airport
Anderson Field, the first airport in Las Vegas, opened in November 1920 at present-day Sahara Ave and Paradise Rd southeast. It was purchased by the Rockwell brothers in 1925 and the airport was renamed Rockwell Field. In April 1926, Western Air Express (WAE) began carrying mail and later passengers. When the brothers sold Rockwell Field and the new owner canceled WAE’s lease, the airline had to look for another airport. An out-of-town businessman, P. A. Simon, built an airport northeast of the city (now Nellis Air Force Base), and WAE moved there in November 1929 and purchased the site a few years later.
When the city tried to buy the airport and build a more modern terminal, WAE refused, but with the start of World War II, WAE was forced to sell. Nevada Senator Pat McCarran helped secure federal funding for the city to purchase the site and build a terminal. He also helped establish the United States Air Force Ranger School on the site. The airport was named McCarran Field in 1941 for the senator’s contributions.
A third airport, Alamo Field, was established by aviator George Crockett in 1942 on the site of today’s Harry Reid International Airport, south of Las Vegas. Because the Army wanted to open a base at the site of McCarran Field, Clark County purchased Alamo Field and turned it into an airline airport. Alamo Field became the new McCarran Field on December 19, 1948. Meanwhile, the Army reopened the original McCarran Field in 1949 and renamed it Nellis Air Force Base in 1950.
More than 36,000 passengers were served during McCarran Field’s first year of operation. April 1949 OAG shows 12 departures per day, 5 Western, 5 TWA and 2 United. The Las Vegas gambling industry grew in the 1950s and the airport served 959,603 passengers in 1959. May 1959 OAG shows 47 departures on weekdays: 13 Western, 11 United, 11 TWA, 9 Bonanza and 3 Pacific. The first jet flights were operated with United 720s in September 1960.
In the early 80s, a modernization study was planned for the port. As part of the modernization, projects were planned to continue until 2000. Baggage claim areas, an esplanade and a parking lot opened in 1985; Gate C and the first line of the people mover system followed in 1987. The new Terminal building (later named Terminal 2), where out-of-town flights could land, opened in December 1991. In addition, a nine-story parking garage and a tunnel connecting the airport to the Las Vegas Beltway were built. In June 1998, the southwest and southeast wings of Gate D opened.
In the late 1990s, the airport focused on attracting foreign airlines. Condor began serving Cologne/Bonn in November 1996, the first regular transatlantic flight. A Boeing 767 flew the route. In June 1998, Northwest Airlines launched flights to Tokyo-Narita with Boeing 747s, connecting Las Vegas to Asia for the first time.
McCarran Airport introduced Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) in 1997, the first airport in the US to do so. With so many airlines serving McCarran, it had become inefficient to have separate facilities for each airline. CUTE allows the sharing of ticketing counters and gates; an airline can move to facilities that are idle during peak hours. In 2003, McCarran furthered the shared-use strategy with the SpeedCheck system and introduced Common-Use Self-Service (CUSS) kiosks. These kiosks allow passengers to check-in for several airlines and print boarding passes. Previously, airlines were installing their own check-in kiosks, which disrupted the use of CUTE and increased congestion at ticket counters. SpeedCheck kiosks have also been installed at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Terminal 3 opened on June 27, 2012. The project was announced in January 2001 to accommodate rapid passenger traffic growth, especially international traffic. Although the 2008 economic crisis and a decline in tourism to Las Vegas called the project into question, it was pushed forward in anticipation of a future economic recovery and an increase in passenger numbers. Terminal 3 is one of Nevada’s largest public works projects, costing $2.4 billion to build. Replacing Terminal 2, Terminal 3 provides more international gates and a larger United States Customs and Border Protection facility. With seven domestic gates, the terminal also reduces congestion at Terminal 1.
The airport was officially renamed Harry Reid International Airport on December 14, 2021. Reid, who is terminally ill, did not personally attend the renaming ceremony. Two weeks after the airport was renamed, Reid died at the age of 82. The Federal Aviation Administration updated official aviation charts in June 2021 to reflect the new name.
Attractions in Las Vegas
Las Vegas is a city known for its world-famous casinos, entertainment venues, nightlife and luxury hotels. The city has countless attractions for tourists.
The Las Vegas Strip is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. This 6.8-kilometer-long area is filled with showrooms, casinos, hotels and restaurants. Many of the hotels on the Strip have their own entertainment venues. These include shows, concierge services, spa centers and shopping outlets.
The city is also home to the High Roller, the world’s tallest Ferris wheel. At 167.6 meters high, the High Roller is one of the best places to get stunning views of the city. You can also visit attractions such as the Shark Reef Aquarium, Fremont Street Experience, The Neon Museum and The Mob Museum.
Las Vegas welcomes millions of tourists every year with its fascinating nightlife, luxury hotels, casinos and attractions.
Harry Reid airport transportation routes
Many air travelers from all over the world flock to Las Vegas every day. There is a regular bus and taxi service for easy transportation for travelers arriving in the city. In Las Vegas, which is full of luxury and casinos, shuttle and car rental companies are available all day long to meet the special requests of passengers and provide comfortable transportation.
Taxis lined up at the airport exit gates are strictly inspected by Nevada authorities. Some taxis accept credit card payments, but if you want to use this payment method, you must tell the driver when you get in the vehicle. The number 109 buses in the terminal 1 building operate all day long, while the number 108 buses provide transportation to Bonneville Train Station from 04:50 in the morning until 01:25 at night.
Shuttle companies such as Airline, BellTrans and Showtime provide 24-hour service, making it easy to reach Las Vegas city center. You can access the vehicles of these shuttle companies in front of terminal buildings 1 and 3. Shuttle buses take you to the city center in just 45 minutes. You can make a reservation online in advance or pay after boarding the vehicle and benefit from the shuttle buses.
In addition, offices of different private car rental companies are available 24/7 in the port.
