Passenger counts continue to decline at Las Vegas airport at end of 2025

An airplane flies overhead on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025 along Paradise Road.

Harry Reid International Airport closed out 2025 with its first double-digit percentage decline in passengers of the year in December.

The airport that serves Southern Nevada had 4.4 million passengers for the month, a 10.3 percent decline from December 2024.

With 11 consecutive months of declines, the airport closed out the year serving 55 million passengers, 5.9 percent fewer than the record-setting 58.4 million in 2024. Despite the downturn, 2025 turned out to be the third-best year of volume in history, coming after two straight years of record-breaking performance.

A Southwest airplane takes to the overcast skies, seen from Henderson on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 in Las Vegas.

Traffic slumped in all three flight categories for both December and all of 2025. Domestic passenger levels were down 9.3 percent to 4 million in December and down 5.9 percent to 50.6 million for the year. International traffic was down 21.9 percent for the month to 254,997 and off 7.4 percent to 3.4 million for the year. Charter, helicopter and general aviation traffic on the airport’s west side fell 20.2 percent to 66,248 for December and 3.4 percent to 934,150 for 2025.

An airplane lands at Harry Reid International Airport on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, in Las Vegas. Harry Reid International Airport closed out 2025 with its first double-digit percentage decline in passengers of the year in December.

Three Canadian air carriers — discounter WestJet, flag-bearer Air Canada and Porter Airlines — paced the international declines with figures off 29.7 percent, 36.9 percent and 43.8 percent, respectively. The decline is a continuation of woes involving the recent complex geopolitical relationship between Canada and the United States.

Spirit woes

On the domestic side, Florida-based Spirit Airlines, operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection dipped by 74.7 percent to 144,201 passengers in December. Once the No. 2 provider of airline traffic to Reid, Spirit has sunk to No. 8 among the 13 domestic airlines serving Las Vegas.

Three of the top five domestic airlines serving Reid showed declines in December and in 2025.

Market leader Southwest Airlines brought 1.8 million passengers, up 2 percent from a year ago, to Las Vegas in December. For the year, Southwest was up 0.8 percent to 21.8 million passengers in 2025.

Fixed-base operator Signature Aviation was the only westside operator to have more passengers in 2025 than last year, up 4.3 percent to 18,432. Charter helicopter operators Maverick, Five-Star and Papillion all had declines last year.

Even though 2025 was a lackluster year by the numbers, Clark County Department of Aviation officials said it was an eventful year at Reid.

The airport maintained direct connectivity to more than 170 markets as a key origin-and-destination airport.

The airport maintained full operations during the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history in October and November and became a national leader in supporting unpaid federal workers through a donated food and essentials pantry.

Key initiatives

Through 2025, airport officials completed several key initiatives:

• Implemented real-time TSA security wait times on flight information display screens throughout the terminals.

• Launched a new airport website to improve navigation, mobile usability and accessibility.

• Partnered with Aira ASL mobile application for interpretation services that support travelers who are deaf or hard of hearing.

• Opened two new premium lounges – Capital One at the D Gates and Chase Sapphire at the C Gates, along with several new retail and food and beverage options to enhance the overall passenger experience.

• Introduced the “Gateway to Everything” campaign, reinforcing the airport’s role as the first and last look at the destination.

Airport officials also are preparing for new international air service to and from Paris. The new Air France service that starts April 15 will also connect passengers to 120 European, Asian and African destinations.

Work also is underway across the airport to increase efficiency and enhance the passenger experience, while planning for the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration and the Bureau of Land Management are the lead agencies preparing an environmental impact statement for the new airport south of Las Vegas in the Ivanpah Valley. Work is ongoing, but leaders don’t expect any public commentary on it until early 2027.

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