Latest news with #RosemaryVassiliadis
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Las Vegas Is One Step Closer to Getting a New Airport—What to Know
Plans to add a second airport in the Las Vegas area just reached a significant milestone. The Federal Aviation Administration and the Bureau of Land Management are set to prepare an environmental impact statement, the first step in approving a new commercial airport. The statement will evaluate how the new airport may affect the local environment, such as desert tortoises and rare wildflowers. Las Vegas could soon get a brand new airport. Plans to build a second airport in the Las Vegas metropolitan area just took a major step forward. On May 19, officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Bureau of Land Management issued a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport in the Ivanpah Valley, located between the small towns of Jean and Primm. Preparing an environmental impact statement is the first step in the federal process for approving a new commercial airport. Local officials called the start of the review a 'major milestone' for the future airport. 'This important step brings us closer to addressing the increasing demand for air travel in one of the nation's fastest growing regions,' Rosemary Vassiliadis, the Clark County director of aviation, said in a statement obtained by Travel + Leisure. The new airport would have two runways and a single terminal building. The proposed site is about 23 miles from the Vegas strip, and could accommodate both domestic and international flights. Plans to build a second airport for the Las Vegas area have been in the works for more than 25 years, but the project has taken on new urgency. Passenger numbers at Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) are estimated to meet its full capacity of 63 million to 65 million fliers per year by 2030, according to the Clark County Department of Aviation. 'As a second commercial airport, SNSA will add much-needed capacity, improve service reliability, and ensure Southern Nevada continues to thrive as a global destination for business and tourism,' Vassiliadis said. With its opulent resorts, over-the-top casinos, and thriving nightlife scene, Las Vegas is a perennial hit with travelers. And in recent years, it's been growing even more popular among visitors, thanks to new events and attractions such as the Las Vegas Grand Prix and the immersive concert venue, the Sphere, which opened in September 2023. The next step in the proposed airport's approval process is for the FAA and the BLM to hold a series of three public meetings in July to cover the potential environmental impact the new facility could have on the surrounding area. One concern, according to the local newspaper The Nevada Current, is whether the airport will threaten endangered species in the Ivanpah Valley, including the desert tortoise and the rare white-margined beardtongue wildflower. The first meeting will be held virtually on July 29, and participants can register on the project's website. Two in-person meetings are scheduled to take place on July 30 at the East Las Vegas Library and on July 31 at Primm Valley Casino Resorts. Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2FTAL-las-vegas-NEWLVAIRPORT0525-1aee04808fbf4642901d23a3fda8a1eb.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Travel + Leisure
4 days ago
- Business
- Travel + Leisure
Las Vegas Is One Step Closer to Getting a New Airport—What to Know
Las Vegas could soon get a brand new airport. Plans to build a second airport in the Las Vegas metropolitan area just took a major step forward. On May 19, officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Bureau of Land Management issued a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport in the Ivanpah Valley, located between the small towns of Jean and Primm. Preparing an environmental impact statement is the first step in the federal process for approving a new commercial airport. Local officials called the start of the review a 'major milestone' for the future airport. 'This important step brings us closer to addressing the increasing demand for air travel in one of the nation's fastest growing regions,' Rosemary Vassiliadis, the Clark County director of aviation, said in a statement obtained by Travel + Leisure . The new airport would have two runways and a single terminal building. The proposed site is about 23 miles from the Vegas strip, and could accommodate both domestic and international flights. Plans to build a second airport for the Las Vegas area have been in the works for more than 25 years, but the project has taken on new urgency. Passenger numbers at Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) are estimated to meet its full capacity of 63 million to 65 million fliers per year by 2030, according to the Clark County Department of Aviation. 'As a second commercial airport, SNSA will add much-needed capacity, improve service reliability, and ensure Southern Nevada continues to thrive as a global destination for business and tourism,' Vassiliadis said. With its opulent resorts, over-the-top casinos, and thriving nightlife scene, Las Vegas is a perennial hit with travelers. And in recent years, it's been growing even more popular among visitors, thanks to new events and attractions such as the Las Vegas Grand Prix and the immersive concert venue, the Sphere, which opened in September 2023. The next step in the proposed airport's approval process is for the FAA and the BLM to hold a series of three public meetings in July to cover the potential environmental impact the new facility could have on the surrounding area. One concern, according to the local newspaper The Nevada Current , is whether the airport will threaten endangered species in the Ivanpah Valley, including the desert tortoise and the rare white-margined beardtongue wildflower. The first meeting will be held virtually on July 29, and participants can register on the project's website. Two in-person meetings are scheduled to take place on July 30 at the East Las Vegas Library and on July 31 at Primm Valley Casino Resorts.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Feds launch environmental review process for second major airport near Las Vegas
Harry Reid International Airport is projected to reach full capacity by the end of the decade. (Photo: Clark County Department of Aviation) After more than two decades of delays federal officials are starting an environmental review for Clark County's long-anticipated second commercial airport. Local and federal officials have long sought to build a new airport on 6,000 acres in the Ivanpah Valley north of Primm, arguing the Harry Reid International Airport will not be able to keep up with projected demand for air travel without the supplemental airport. The Federal Aviation Administration and the Bureau of Land Management issued a notice of intent last week to prepare an environmental impact statement, starting the formal review for the proposed Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA). Rosemary Vassiliadis, the director of aviation for Clark County, called the announcement a major milestone for the region. 'This important step brings us closer to addressing the increasing demand for air travel in one of the nation's fastest growing regions,' Vassiliadis said in a statement last week. 'As a second commercial airport, SNSA will add much-needed capacity, improve service reliability, and ensure Southern Nevada continues to thrive as a global destination for business and tourism,' she continued. The Harry Reid International Airport will reach its full capacity of 63 million to 65 million passengers annually by 2030, according to the Clark County Department of Aviation estimates The Clark County Department of Aviation said the Ivanpah airport would provide long-term aviation capacity for the Las Vegas metropolitan area and primarily serve charter, long-haul domestic and international flights. The supplemental airport was first proposed in 2006 by the Clark County Department of Aviation, but local economic conditions following the Great Recession and other local budgetary constraints stalled the project for decades. In 2010 the Clark County Department of Aviation asked the FAA to suspend any work on the environmental review. Earlier this year, county officials confirmed that the environmental review process would resume for the future airport, which would include two runways and a terminal building in the Ivanpah Valley. Congress transferred public land to Clark County for the construction of the airport site in 2000 through the Ivanpah Valley Airport Public Lands Transfer Act. The new airport site would cover an area of 6,000 acres, 2,000 acres for flood mitigation infrastructure, and an additional 17,000 acres of land that are set aside as a noise compatibility buffer, making the new airport site over 25,000 acres. State officials have suggested the new airport could lead to further development in Clark County. In 2023, state lawmakers unanimously approved Senate Bill 19 which would allow Clark County to put aside at least 5,000 acres for a new commercial and residential development in the vicinity of the new airport. Conservation groups have long opposed the development of the airport, saying its development could threaten two endangered species in the area, the desert tortoise and the white-margined penstemon – a small pink bell-shaped flower fixed on long hardy stems with waved oblong leaves. The rare wildflower only grows in four counties across the Mojave Desert: Clark County, Nye County, San Bernardino County in California, and Mohave County in Arizona. Patrick Donnelly, the Great Basin director for the Center for Biological Diversity, said the conservation group would follow the environmental review process 'to ensure that sensitive biological resources are not unduly harmed by the airport, and that appropriate mitigation measures are implemented.' 'Just because Congress gave the land to Clark County, doesn't mean the airport is pre-approved. Laws like the Endangered Species Act mandate the strictest of protections,' Donnelly said. The Federal Aviation Administration and the Bureau of Land Management plan to hold three public scoping meetings this July to gather testimony about the environmental impact of a new airport, starting with a virtual meeting on July 29. Two in-person meetings will be held in July, the first will be held on July 30 at the East Las Vegas Library, and the second will be on July 31 at Primm Valley Casino Resorts.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Major milestone' in creation of 2nd Las Vegas airport as feds take initial step
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Clark County officials said the federal government has begun the process that could bring a second major airport to the Las Vegas area. In a social media post on X, Rosemary Vassiliadis, Clark County aviation director, said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are moving forward, issuing a Notice of Intent to prepare the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA). She called it 'a major milestone in our region's aviation future.' Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas is ranked as the No. 8 busiest airport in the U.S., just behind Orlando and ahead of Charlotte. Officials have been working for years to address the need, which has focused on the Ivanpah Valley, along Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and the California state line. 'This important step brings us closer to addressing the increasing demand for air travel in one of the nation's fastest growing regions,' according to Vassiliadis's statement, posted on the @LASairport account on X. 'As a second commercial airport, SNSA will add much-needed capacity, improve service reliability, and ensure Southern Nevada continues to thrive as a global destination for business and tourism. We know the crucial role we play in the region, and SNSA represents the future of economic vitality for all the communities we service.' The site could see enormous growth, but questions about water availability and conflicts with endangered species habitat — the desert tortoise — will have to be addressed in the environmental analysis of the project. 'More than 25 years in the making, we thank our federal delegation, the FAA, BLM, Clark County Board of County Commissioners and countless partners who have supported this project. This is a pivotal step for our region, and upon receiving a favorable Record of Decision, we are committed to building an airport that supports the long-term growth of our region,' Vassiliadis said. Vassiliadis was appointed to her position in 2013. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
