[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by ddrhazy

I'd rather NAFB be moved to Creech and use Nellis as an international terminal.

Moving international flights to a remote air base will buy you a year or two at most. International passengers are roughly 8% of traffic at LAS. Basically what you would get is a lot of International flights cancel their service to Vegas

[BBMW]

For a major international airport, McCarran has a lot of GA / executive aircraft traffic. It wouldn't effect passenger totals much, but probables does add a lot of aircraft movements. Maybe all of this, except for the heavy executive aircraft (like Sands 747SPs), should be pushed off to Henderson or NLV.

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by BBMW

For a major international airport, McCarran has a lot of GA / executive aircraft traffic. It wouldn't effect passenger totals much, but probables does add a lot of aircraft movements. Maybe all of this, except for the heavy executive aircraft (like Sands 747SPs), should be pushed off to Henderson or NLV.

Well you would need to reduce not just general aviation but also air taxi operations (as defined by FAA). Quickly comparing Las Vegas and San Diego which is another constrained airport.

LAS VEGAS Type SAN DIEGO 2017 aircraft operations
362,898 air carrier 188,581
135,977 air taxi 10,662
42,891 general aviation 9,613
1,228 military 707
542,994 total 209,563

FAA definition: An air taxi operator is defined as a company which operates aircraft originally designed to have no more than 60 passenger seats.

San Diego reached a total of 237,574 operations in 2007 when and they projected constrained operations at to 260,000.
San Diego minimized not just GA (16,644 to 9,613) but also air taxi operations (54,788 to 10,662).

When the county voted on funding for a new airport for San Diego in 2006, projections for constrained operations (greater than 260,000) were projected for as early as 2015.

[AmericaWestCMH]

Originally Posted by PacoMartin

Well you would need to reduce not just general aviation but also air taxi operations (as defined by FAA). Quickly comparing Las Vegas and San Diego which is another constrained airport.

LAS VEGAS Type SAN DIEGO 2017 aircraft operations
362,898 air carrier 188,581
135,977 air taxi 10,662
42,891 general aviation 9,613
1,228 military 707
542,994 total 209,563

FAA definition: An air taxi operator is defined as a company which operates aircraft originally designed to have no more than 60 passenger seats.

San Diego reached a total of 237,574 operations in 2007 when and they projected constrained operations at to 260,000.
San Diego minimized not just GA (16,644 to 9,613) but also air taxi operations (54,788 to 10,662).

When the county voted on funding for a new airport for San Diego in 2006, projections for constrained operations (greater than 260,000) were projected for as early as 2015.

All the Maverick and Sundance helicopters count as air-taxis. So do any general aviation aircraft flying under a registered callsign (Netjets, etc.). In Vegas' case (since the smallest scheduled airliner into LAS is 70 seats), air-taxi and GA are all one-in-the-same.

[lvmensch]

There is something over 100,000 helicopter operations in the LAS numbers.

I would think the airport has vastly more capacity nowadays due to the new terminal which is no where near capacity. So there is no real pressure to go to Ivanpah unless air operations begin to approach the peak numbers. The appears more than a few years off.

That would be a nice problem to have. It would mean Las Vegas has done very well.

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by lvmensch

There is something over 100,000 helicopter operations in the LAS numbers.
I would think the airport has vastly more capacity nowadays due to the new terminal which is no where near capacity. So there is no real pressure to go to Ivanpah unless air operations begin to approach the peak numbers.

I am not sure what drives capacity at Las Vegas (passengers or runways). Although LAS has four runways, they come to a V shape.

With SAN airport the belief is that the single runway is the capacity limiter. The number 260,000 operations has been used for decades as the number when operations become "constrained", and 300,000 operations when delays become severe. San Diego also prohibits takeoffs for 6.5 hours at night, although a limited number of landings are allowed. Most of the airport services are closed however.

The San Diego Airport Authority was charged with getting an alternative airport site for county vote in 2004 or 2006 (2006 was chosen) when operation were approaching 230,000. The vote lost by a large margin, so plans were made to rebuild the terminal.

[BBMW]

I wonder how many of the air taxi operations are scheduled small commuter aircraft? Those would probably stay to facilitate transfers. But nonscheduled GA should probably go.

Originally Posted by AmericaWestCMH

All the Maverick and Sundance helicopters count as air-taxis. So do any general aviation aircraft flying under a registered callsign (Netjets, etc.). In Vegas' case (since the smallest scheduled airliner into LAS is 70 seats), air-taxi and GA are all one-in-the-same.

[BBMW]

It might have gate capacity, but how close is it to maxing out it's runway capacity?

Originally Posted by lvmensch

There is something over 100,000 helicopter operations in the LAS numbers.

I would think the airport has vastly more capacity nowadays due to the new terminal which is no where near capacity. So there is no real pressure to go to Ivanpah unless air operations begin to approach the peak numbers. The appears more than a few years off.

That would be a nice problem to have. It would mean Las Vegas has done very well.

[lvmensch]

Originally Posted by BBMW

It might have gate capacity, but how close is it to maxing out it's runway capacity?

Well it is around 75,000 operations short of the 2006 peak and I suspect that the max number has increased since then. So lots of room yet.

[SportyandMisty]

Originally Posted by AmericaWestCMH

All the Maverick and Sundance helicopters count as air-taxis. So do any general aviation aircraft flying under a registered callsign (Netjets, etc.). In Vegas' case (since the smallest scheduled airliner into LAS is 70 seats), air-taxi and GA are all one-in-the-same.

Don't forget Janet Airlines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_(airline)