Wednesday, April 22, 1998 | 10:32 a.m.
Four overseas airline companies will be lobbied to initiate nonstop service to Las Vegas by an international trade delegation to be led by Gov. Bob Miller in June.
Miller said on Tuesday that he plans to meet with representatives of Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airlines, China Airlines and Eva Airways when he leads his group to Tokyo and Taipei.
The trip is coming in response to decreasing passenger traffic at McCarran International Airport and a 15.8 percent drop in casino winnings on the Strip in March. Meanwhile, 20,000 new hotel rooms will come on line within three years, 75 percent of them by the end of 1999.
Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., conducted a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing in Las Vegas last week to address how the city could build the number of seats airlines bring into McCarran.
The governor has an invitation to meet with Japan Airlines, the nation's leading international carrier, thanks to connections with a former Hawaii governor who worked with JAL to enhance service between Tokyo and the Aloha State.
All Nippon is Japan's leading domestic air carrier, but flies international routes to seven U.S. gateways. The company has said Las Vegas is on its short list of cities under consideration for nonstop service next fall.
China Air, the national carrier for Taiwan, and Eva are based in Taipei.
Miller said his traveling delegation would consist of representatives from the Las Vegas Parties -- the group that has been working for more than a year to build foreign and domestic air service options for Las Vegas. The group is represented by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, McCarran, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, the Nevada Development Authority and the Nevada Resort Association.
Top executives from each organization joined Miller in the announcement of the trip, tentatively scheduled June 6-14. Casino executives from the Las Vegas Hilton, Caesars Palace and the Aladdin also lent support to Miller.
Also on hand for the announcement was James Million, senior sales manager for Northwest Airlines in Las Vegas. Earlier this month, Northwest announced that twice-a-week nonstop air service between McCarran and Tokyo's Narita International Airport would begin on June 1.
Miller said he probably wouldn't take the Northwest flight to Tokyo since he'll be flying as a guest of Japan Airlines.
Million said Northwest had no animosity toward a state-sponsored delegation attempting to build what amounts to direct competition for his company.
"I've lived here since 1979," Million said. "I know direct air service to Tokyo is something that this community needs."
He added that if the Northwest launch is successful, it's not impossible for his company to add flights. Million said Northwest already has a commitment of 150 seats purchased on each Boeing 747 the company flies between Las Vegas and Tokyo, thanks to a Japanese travel agency buying the seats to build package deals.
Miller said a budget hasn't been developed for the trip, but he said he didn't expect taxpayer dollars to be used for it. Individual companies and agencies would be responsible for their own travel and lodging expenses, he said. Miller said most of the agencies haven't finalized who would be representing them on the trip.
Japan is the leading overseas source of international travelers to Las Vegas. In 1996, there were 311,000 visitors from Japan, trailing only Canada's 1.5 million among all foreign countries.
China ranked No. 6, but its 119,000 visitors in 1996 consisted of visitors from both Taiwan and the People's Republic of China on the mainland.
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