Las Vegas airline traffic rose 7 percent in January

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2001 | 11:22 a.m.

A major convention using Las Vegas for the first time was partially responsible for a 7 percent increase in passenger counts at McCarran International Airport in January.

McCarran officials said 2.87 million passengers arrived and departed from Las Vegas' airport in January, compared with 2.68 million in January 2000.

Kevin Bagger, senior research analyst for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said a combination of marketing programs by the resorts, the LVCVA and the airport contributed to the increase. He said a major convention may also have had an impact, although the agency has not received convention attendance data to confirm that.

The Super Show, the largest trade show devoted to the sporting goods industry, made its Las Vegas debut in late January, bringing an estimated 80,000 people to the city.

Among the top five air carriers serving McCarran, National, America West and Southwest airlines, reported increases in passengers. National and Southwest have added flights since January 2000. National was up 66.5 percent to 165,109, America West was up 38.2 percent to 529,505 and Southwest was up 13.8 percent to 867,276.

The No. 3 and 4 carriers at McCarran, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, had decreases with Delta down 12.5 percent to 188,575 and United down 5.9 percent to 250,777. Delta, which scratched six Las Vegas flights from its schedule in January, plans to reinstate them in the spring.