International flights to get boost from federal grant

Adrienne Packer

Monday, March 15, 1999 | 11:02 a.m.

A bill approved Friday by a congressional committee would entitle McCarran International Airport to about $15 million.

The bill -- the Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR-21) -- was approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Aviation Director Randy Walker said Friday that if the bill is passed, the money will be used to expand the airport's international wing in preparation for the expected onslaught of foreign visitors.

The three existing international gates are in McCarran's Terminal 2, a separate building just north of the main terminal.

International airplanes carry passengers who must shuffle through U.S. Customs to get their passports stamped and collect their luggage.

Later this month, six weekly flights from Tokyo will be available, significantly increasing the amount of overseas air traffic. Walker said the airport can comfortably accommodate 1,747 international passengers an hour.

"Looking into the future, the area we're most concerned about is having the adequate facility to handle additional overseas traffic," Walker said. "The biggest concern is not the gates as much as it is the processing space in the federal inspection area."

Only Newark International Airport in New Jersey and JFK International in New York would receive more money from AIR-21.

The bill would allow aviation departments to spend the ticket tax passengers pay rather than use it to offset the budget.

"There is the potential of having more grant money for capital projects, which certainly would be beneficial," Walker said. "It gives us a lot more flexibility and options on how to get projects completed."

AIR-21 augments the federal Airport Improvement Program, which funds airport construction. The additional funding is expected to increase competition between airlines -- which keeps ticket prices lower --because of the extra terminal space.

The bill would also permit the airport to raise passenger facility charges from $3 to $6. Walker said the $888 million the airport has spent on improvements the last few years came from the fees.

The passenger count at McCarran, which is the 12th busiest airport in the nation, had leveled off during the last two years. But Walker said this year's figures prove the outlook is bright. In January, for example, the traffic was up 9 percent at the airport.

He credits the grand openings of Mandalay Bay and Bellagio, along with efforts by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, with the healthy numbers.

"This is an exciting and vibrant community in the first place," Walker said. "With the convention authority's new ad campaign and the new properties, it keeps on the forefront of everybody's mind how good we are."