Passenger counts continue record-setting pace

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2004 | 11:27 a.m.

The number of passengers using Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport continued to climb at a record-setting pace in October, airport officials said Monday.

It was the second-busiest month in the airport's history.

McCarran officials reported there were 3.6 million arriving and departing passengers last month, a 12.3 percent increase over the 3.2 million passengers reported in October 2003. For the year, passenger counts are up 14.4 percent over 2003's pace.

The top five carriers serving McCarran had year-over-year improvements for October.

No. 2 America West had 583,797 passengers, a 13.6 percent increase over October 2003, and No. 3 United, operating as discount carrier Ted Airlines, had 283,555 customers, a 12.6 percent increase. McCarran's busiest carrier, Southwest, had 1.1 million passengers, an 11.9 percent increase over October 2003, and No. 4 Delta was up 0.6 percent to 248,585 passengers.

McCarran is on pace to serve close to 40 million passengers this year.