In a sign of the ongoing recovery of Las Vegas tourism, McCarran International Airport reported Friday that it handled 3.51 million passengers in May, 600,000 more than April and the most since the Las Vegas casinos reopened in June 2020.
That passenger count is still, however, 23.3% below the 4.58 million who passed through McCarran in May 2019 prior to the pandemic. But it’s better by nearly 9% than April’s count: 32% below April 2019. That was in part due to the casinos starting to open to 100% capacity in May and dropping their mask mandate.
For 2021, McCarran has handled 8.6 million passengers, 47% below the 16.2 million handled through May 2019.
Domestic travel through the airport in May accounted for 2.8 million passengers, a 27% decline from the 3.86 million that went through the airport in May 2019.
On the international front, 31,214 passengers went through McCarran in May, a 90% decline from the 322,256 who passed through in May 2019.
“I am incredibly encouraged by the air traffic numbers,” said Jeremy Aguero, principal at Las Vegas research firm Applied Analysis. “The drive-in traffic numbers recovered earlier, but the airline passenger numbers have been sluggish in terms of coming back. I would certainly expect it’s going to be higher in June (over May). June is an important travel month and we know demand for air travel is exceedingly high right now. Between pent-up demand and savings, people are looking to get away and Las Vegas is a great place to escape to.”
Friday is the first full day Resorts World Las Vegas is open, the first casino on the Strip to open since 2010.
Aguero said traditionally, openings expand the marketplace and he expects the same this time. “Resorts World has an extensive marketing network and has built a beautiful property. I think people want to see it and that ought to provide us a lift.”
Resorts World has 3,500 rooms in a market of 146,000 hotel rooms.
“While it’s something people want to come and see, I don’t want to create an overly optimistic expectation,” Aguero said. “It’s an important moment for Las Vegas in terms of opening the first property on the Strip in a decade and I think I think Resorts World will be a positive contributor. Do I think it’s going to somehow accelerate or change the recovery from COVID-19? No. But I think it’s part of that recovery.”
