Report: Passenger congestion could overwhelm McCarran

The U.S. Travel Association released two studies on Wednesday that predicted congestion could soon overwhelm many of the country’s largest airports, including McCarran International Airport.

In fact, McCarran was listed as one of the major airports that is already experiencing “Thanksgiving-like congestion levels at least one day every week.”

While the day before Thanksgiving is the busiest of the year for many cities, the passenger spike at McCarran is the second-smallest in the country after Orlando, which also has big tourist and convention industries.

Also, big spikes have been part of the McCarran routine for years, notably on Fridays and Sundays, the start of big conventions such as CES or holidays such as Memorial Day or New Year’s Eve.

“At McCarran, we see these high-traffic days more often than most other airports, so with that experience, we work to maximize our resources and hone our services to make the airport experience as smooth and pleasant as possible for the traveling public,” McCarran spokeswoman Christine Crews said in a statement.

However, she added, longer lines and wait times would be in store as passenger counts grow and without continued investment in improvements. In addition, the punctuality of McCarran flights could deteriorate if delays take place elsewhere.