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Passenger Count Pulls Up

LAS VEGAS -- Though still behind its 2001 pace, McCarran International Airport said Tuesday its February passenger traffic count improved compared with the same period a year ago. The Las Vegas airport handled more than 2.71 million arriving and departing passengers in February, a 4 percent increase from February 2002's total of 2.6 million, the Clark County Department of Aviation said. Though up, last month's total was still about 5 percent below the nearly 2.85 million visitors who came through the airport in February 2001. The news was better for Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, which was McCarran's top carrier a year ago and is currently ahead of its 2001 and 2002 passenger levels, according to airport statistics. Through February, Southwest has carried nearly 1.85 million passengers in and out of Las Vegas. During the first two months of 2001, Southwest carried 1.73 million passengers through McCarran, and during the same period last year, it reported about 1.64 million travelers. Southwest spokesman Ed Stewart attributed his company's recent success largely to low fares offered during a poor economy. "In these uncertain times, people are looking for a deal," Stewart said. "Las Vegas has always done well for us, especially for leisure traffic and on our long-haul routes from the East Coast." In February, Southwest reported 903,091 passengers, up 11.3 percent from last year's 811,261 and an increase of 4 percent from February 2001's total of 868,027 passengers. Temp, Ariz.-based America West Airlines remained in second place for the month and year. Its 2003 total of 856,236 passengers was nearly 17 percent up compared with the same period a year ago, though still below its 2001 total of 900,756 passengers through February. America West carried 414,955 passengers last month, up 10.1 percent from a year ago. Bankrupt United Airlines ranked third for the month with 215,729 passengers, followed by Delta Air Lines, which had 207,813 February passengers. Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airlines, which could soon join United in bankruptcy court, was McCarran's fifth-busiest carrier in February with 183,816 passengers. Looking ahead, Deutsche Bank analyst Andrew Zarnett said investors will closely watch McCarran's traffic during March and April to better gauge the pending war's effect on Las Vegas tourism. "February numbers at this point have little value to investors because of what's looming," said Zarnett, who added Las Vegas could likely experience at least a one-month dip in air traffic beginning this month as a result of the looming conflict in Iraq.

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