Latest news with #RosemaryVassiliadis
Travel Weekly
08-07-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Las Vegas aviation director is retiring, but her vision will live on
Paul Szydelko Improvements to Harry Reid Airport and the construction of a proposed reliever airport in southern Nevada will be managed by a new director of aviation, as Rosemary Vassiliadis announced she will be retiring after almost three decades of service. Vassiliadis announced her retirement last month, effective Sept. 12. She has served as director of Clark County's airport system since 2013 after about 16 years as deputy director. "Serving our community has been the honor of a lifetime," said Vassiliadis, the system's first woman director. "I am incredibly proud of the partnerships we've built, the milestones we've achieved and the foundation laid for the future." Rosemary Vassiliadis Photo Credit: Clark County Department of Aviation The system employs 18,000 people and comprises five airports, including four general aviation facilities that support flight schools as well as private jet and recreational activities. For the second consecutive year, Reid Airport (formerly known as McCarran but retaining the LAS code) was ranked fifth busiest in the world in aircraft movements in 2024, according to Airports Council International. There were 613,973 landings and takeoffs that year, just a 0.4% increase from 2023 but an 11% jump from 2019, the last full year before the Covid-19 pandemic. Reid Airport served 58.5 million passengers in 2024, making it the eighth busiest airport in the U.S. by passenger volume. Vassiliadis is leaving at a time when 26 new gates are planned to be added to Terminal 1 at Reid Airport, according to a concept presented to the Clark County Commission late last year. No timeline was provided for the improvements, which would include a more efficient pier design to replace the antiquated satellite gate layout. A long-discussed idea to construct a supplemental airport about 30 miles south and west will also move forward after the departure of Vassiliadis. Reid Airport will remain the system's flagship even after the planned opening of that airport in 2037. "There is no doubt that our airport system is well situated to continue to serve as the front door to (Southern Nevada's) mega-events, conventions, sporting events and so much more," Vassiliadis said. Many accomplishments Among the accomplishments during her tenure: The TSA designated the airport in 2019 as the nation's only Innovation Airport, serving as a testing ground for new screening technology before it was implemented in other airports. The tech included four automated screening lanes integrated with four computed tomography scanners, an integrated UV-C light sanitization system, credential authentication technology units and digital signage. Vassiliadis was also proud of the airport's efforts to prevent human trafficking. Staff were trained in victim identification and worked with law enforcement to provide safe exit strategies. It was also one of the first airports to install multilingual signage in all restrooms. As deputy director at the time, Vassiliadis helped the system in the aftermath of 9/11, when the national airspace was closed and the numerous security changes were imposed. She also led the airport through the pandemic, continuing to provide essential service during its outset and overseeing new health and safety measures as a result.
Travel Weekly
16-06-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Development of a second Las Vegas airport takes an 'important step'
The FAA said it will prepare an environmental impact statement for a proposed second commercial airport to serve the Las Vegas region. The Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA), to be located 30 miles south of Harry Reid Airport (formerly McCarran) in the Ivanpah Valley, "has been in various initial planning stages for more than two decades. The notice of intent to prepare the environmental impact statement is "a major milestone in our region's aviation future," said Rosemary Vassiliadis, the Clark County director of aviation. "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. "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." Harry Reid Airport, planning an expansion and many improvements, will remain the system's flagship. The supplemental airport could open as soon as 2037. The FAA and Bureau of Land Management will hold three public meetings, two in-person and one virtual, July 29-31. The meetings will allow the public to speak with representatives of both agencies. Those interested in participating can register online.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- 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
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Travel + Leisure
30-05-2025
- 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.
