Flight cancellations, delays likely to grow at Las Vegas airport as shutdown nears end

Flight cancellations and delays worsened at Harry Reid International Airport on Monday with more than a quarter of scheduled flights canceled or delayed.

The day after Senate leaders secured an initial vote to end a government shutdown provided no relief to flight restrictions at Reid, which saw more delays than many of its western counterparts. Government officials say it may take several days for final passage of legislation formally ending the government shutdown, so passengers may be affected for several more days after a resolution has been reached.

FlightAware, a company that tracks flights worldwide, indicated intensified delay and cancellations at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and New York City’s three primary airports.

Delays stacking up

FlightAware at midafternoon Monday reported 65 cancellations and 424 delays at Reid. Of those, 27 cancellations and 216 delays occurred on Southwest Airlines flights, the busiest commercial carrier at the Las Vegas airport.

There was no indication of whether the delays and cancellations were the result of Federal Aviation Administration tower staffing shortfalls, bad weather or mechanical problems with aircraft. Reid officials have said problems at other airports can cause delays in Las Vegas because a problem elsewhere can result in a late arrival and departure here.

Nationally, the fourth day of flight restrictions saw airlines scrap over 2,200 flights Monday at 40 major U.S. airports.

The outlook isn’t much better Tuesday, when the percentage of flight reductions at Reid is expected to reach 6 percent from the 4 percent that had been mandated by Friday.

FlightAware is projecting 1,058 flight cancellations Tuesday, 47 of those at Reid. On Wednesday, the company projects 698 cancellations with 29 at the Las Vegas airport.

Analysts have explained that the airlines have been given the authority to cancel the flights they choose at each of the 40 high-volume airports. That means they will likely favor canceling more flights that use smaller planes to less popular destinations and, whenever possible, combining some flights by using larger aircraft.

President Donald Trump pressured controllers Monday on social media to “get back to work, NOW!!!” The president said he wants a $10,000 bonus for controllers who’ve stayed on the job every day and to dock the pay of those who didn’t.

The head of the controllers union said they are being used as a “political pawn” in the fight over the shutdown.

Effects on visitation

It’s too early to tell how much the new flight reduction plan is affecting visitation to Las Vegas. Several resort properties did not respond to inquiries Monday.

But a representative of Wynn Resorts Ltd. said, “We’ve not seen an appreciable change in demand or cancellations.”

The Nevada Resort Association added, “Nevada’s resorts are recognized for their world-class guest service no matter the circumstances.”

Nevada Resort Association President and CEO Virginia Valentine said in a Monday email, “In times of uncertainty, our members are even more attuned to guests’ needs and are deeply committed to ensuring an exceptional experience.”

A spokeswoman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said the organization hasn’t seen a significant impact on visitation and passengers on affected flights have been reaccommodated relatively easily.

But a policy involving private aircraft could change that.

A California congressman is proposing the expansion of flight cuts at 40 U.S. airports to include private jets, a plan that, if enacted, could affect the arrival of fans for next week’s Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix.

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in a letter last week to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford, demanded the immediate grounding of all private jet operations, with some exceptions, at the 40 targeted airports before implementing commercial airline reductions.

Garamendi is seeking an immediate inclusion of private jets to flight reductions that are expected to reach 10 percent of all flights by Friday.

“Working Americans cannot be asked to carry the brunt of this burden while the ultrawealthy fly as if the rules don’t apply to them,” Garamendi said in his letter. “If the federal government reduces flight operations in the name of safety, these reductions must first apply to the billionaire class.”

For the past two years, Reid International has been extremely busy accommodating private jets that have flown in with passengers attending the three days of practice, time trials and racing for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Clark County officials have encouraged private planes to use Henderson Executive Airport and North Las Vegas Airport for Formula One arrivals, and those airports are not a part of the flight reduction plan.

“Potentially allowing luxury travel for the over 15,000 private jets in the country to proceed while working families struggle to get to their destinations sends a clear and unacceptable message: that the wealthy are playing by different rules,” Garamendi said in his letter.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.