Las Vegas, Korean Air celebrate four years of Pacific Rim flights

Las Vegas tourism officials view Korean Air as more than just the only carrier offering direct flights between Asia's mainland and Las Vegas. The airline provides the link that connects the populous Pacific Rim region with Southern Nevada.

So executives from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and McCarran International Airport didn't mind taking time late Wednesday afternoon to help Korean Air officials celebrate the fourth anniversary of the airline's thrice-weekly flights that have carried more than 221,000 travelers between Las Vegas and Seoul.

Terry Jicinsky, the convention authority's senior vice president of operations, said growth initiatives are underway to help the airline branch out to other Asian destinations and provide other connections between Las Vegas and the Pacific Rim.

"It is the economy of scale," Jicinsky said. "We're not talking about thousands of potential visitors, but hundreds of thousands of potential visitors. We believe that over time there are potential growth opportunities for emerging markets."

Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871.