McCarran warns of delayed flights due to Irene

If you're heading to the East Coast this weekend, check the status of your flight before you head to the airport.

A spokesman for McCarran International Airport said Hurricane Irene could cause some flights to be delayed or canceled, but would not elaborate on how deeply the storm could effect travel plans since it has not hit the States yet. As of Friday afternoon, no routes had been disrupted due to the potential storm.

"I don't want to speak in generalities," spokesman Chris Jones said. "Even if hundreds of flights are delayed or canceled, all anyone cares about is their one flight."

He said changes in travel plans due to weather is an airline problem, not an airport issue so there's not much McCarran can do in preparing for the hurricane that is expected to be Category 2 or 3 when it hits the East this weekend.

If delays at the airport become a large issue, McCarran could leave open shops earlier to help ease the pains of long wait times, he said, although nothing of that nature has been planned.

Contact Jessica Fryman at jfryman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4535.