Traffic still below 2000 levels

Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2002 | 10:47 a.m.

Passenger traffic at McCarran International Airport continued below 2000 levels in November, the first month to show the effects of the shutdown of Las Vegas-based National Airlines.

The airport reported 2.71 million passengers for the month, a 6.8 percent increase over November 2001, but 1.7 percent below the 2.76 million passengers who flew into Las Vegas in November 2000.

Each of the top five commercial carriers serving McCarran had higher passenger counts in November compared with the same month a year ago, but the top four -- Southwest, America West, United and Delta -- were still below November 2000 counts. No. 5 American was ahead of November 2000's figures, primarily because it acquired routes flown by TWA since that time.

National, which ceased operations Nov. 6, accounted for 241,287 passengers to Las Vegas in October. Competitors on National's routes -- America West, Southwest, United, American, Delta, US Air, American Trans Air and JetBlue Airways -- stood to gain the most from the closure.

JetBlue, a New York-based discount carrier that began service between Las Vegas and Long Beach, Calif., in October and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport in November, reported 25,266 passengers for the month, placing it 11th among 30 airlines currently serving McCarran.