McCarran Congested Until 2017

Las Vegas Business Press [Las Vegas, NV]
Ben Spillman, Review-Journal

The earliest a new commercial airport could relieve congestion at crowded McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas is 2017.

But plans for the proposed Ivanpah airport near Jean are already being criticized by people who don't like the location about 25 miles south of McCarran and within six miles of a national preserve area in the California desert.

Sierra Club members and others concerned about spreading urban sprawl and congestion were among those whose comments on the proposed airport were distributed last week by the Federal Aviation Administration. Many of the complaints centered on how aircraft could impact the Mojave National Preserve and spread urban sprawl further south along Interstate 15.

The Clark County Department of Aviation, however, says a new airport is vital to maintain occupancy in Las Vegas hotel rooms and that other sites aren't as good as the Ivanpah location. Operations at Nellis Air Force Base, flight paths to and from McCarran and mountains are among the obstacles that make other potential sites less desirable.