Air service disruption causes cancellations along Vegas Strip

Lisa Snedeker

Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2001 | 5:16 a.m.

A lack of air service is causing a number of event cancellations along the Las Vegas Strip.

With most of the nation's airplanes grounded, two concerts scheduled for Friday - Ozomatli and Paulina Rubio - and two boxing events set for Saturday were canceled at Mandalay Bay hotel-casino.

"The promoter made the decision to cancel," said Scott Voeller, spokesman for the resort. "They weren't able to move the artist, crew support or personnel. In each case, there was some coordination concern."

Down the street at Paris Las Vegas hotel-casino, Sunday's scheduled boxing match between Jorge "Maromero" Paez and Justo Sanchez was canceled as was this weekend's planned Mexican fiesta to celebrate Mexico's independence at Caesars Palace.

"The entertainment has been canceled due to the disruption in airline flights," said Debbie Munch, spokeswoman for Park Place Entertainment, which owns both Strip properties.

As security remained heightened at Strip resorts, the 50-story Eiffel Tower at Paris and the Stratosphere Tower stayed closed Wednesday. Company officials could not say when the attractions might reopen.

"We're taking it day by day," Munch said.

The Stratosphere hotel-casino postponed its grand opening celebration Beach Boys concerts scheduled for this weekend until November.

Munch added the disruption of airlines also has affected group and individual hotel room bookings.

"We still have people in the house (that were supposed to be gone) that we're accommodating," she said.

MGM Mirage resorts remained at near capacity Wednesday, said spokesman Alan Feldman. MGM Mirage is the largest owner of Strip properties.

"Bellagio is completely full and we have a handful of rooms at the others," he said. "We were at near capacity Monday and people are unable to leave."

In response to Tuesday's terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., the resorts' chapels are being kept open 24 hours.

"We've also had a lot of folks come to the front desk asking for local churches and synagogues," Feldman said.

And while regular entertainment and other weekend activities remained on schedule, the dancing fountains at Bellagio, the pirate battle at Treasure Island and the fiery volcanoes at Mirage were again canceled Wednesday, Feldman said.

The governor and lieutenant governor postponed the fifth annual Economic Development Conference scheduled for Thursday and Friday at the Stardust hotel-casino.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's only scheduled convention resumed Wednesday, spokesman Rob Powers said.

The authority was forced to close the city's largest convention center Tuesday, after a bomb threat sent employees home and disrupted a 25,000-member international baking convention, Powers said.

Also resuming were at least seven shows on the Strip that canceled Tuesday performances, including "Blue Man Group: Live at Luxor" and all shows at MGM Mirage properties.

A concert was postponed at the Hard Rock hotel-casino after several members of the ska-punk band 311 got stuck in Los Angeles.

The Thunderbirds, the aerial demonstration squadron from Nellis Air Force Base, canceled their appearance scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at an international air show in Salinas, Calif.