A Second International Airport Could Be Coming To Las Vegas Sooner Than You Think

From the Flamingo, to the Mirage, to the Sphere, bigger and bolder has largely been the mantra of Las Vegas since America's desert playground became an international tourist destination. Although Las Vegas is considered America's unhealthiest city, it receives over 40 million annual visitors. Clark County believes it has the numbers to justify a new multi-billion-dollar airport along Interstate-15, 23 miles south of Las Vegas. If all goes according to plan, the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA) will be completed by 2037, though there are still several more steps before breaking ground in 2029.

This project has been in development since the year 2000, formerly known as the Ivanpah Valley Airport. Although the new airport was initially set to be completed by 2017, the project was halted various times due to economic and environmental concerns. Due to continued sports tourism growth and average spending increases in recent years, a second airport between Jean and Primm, a quirky Nevada town near the California border, is moving forward. The existing airport, Harry Reid International, has tripled in size, adding a new terminal and runway in the past decades, but it can't keep up with demand alone. In 2024, Harry Reid International processed over 58 million domestic and international passengers and is expected to hit its annual maximum capacity of 63 to 65 million by 2030.

The Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport is expected to cost at least $6 billion, cover an area of over 6,000 acres, and have a single terminal building and two runways at least 12,000 feet long for widebody aircraft. The airport would mainly take long-haul domestic and international flights, as well as become a base for cargo flights. International tourists essentially saved Las Vegas after the 2008 Great Recession, and the city is diversifying as a major logistics and shipping hub for the Western United States. 

Even though the airport has approval at the federal, state, and local levels as of 2025, not everyone is on board. Environmental and conservation groups worry that the project will endanger a rare local wildflower and desert tortoises. As of now, the most recent airport built from scratch in the U.S. was Denver International Airport, built in 1995. It was constructed at a cost of almost $5 billion, over $8.8 billion today. Now, it is the largest airport in the country with great food options to boot! 

If the airport crowds are too much, visitors to Las Vegas may soon have another option to visit the city. Brightline West has broken ground on a new high-speed train from the Los Angeles area to Las Vegas that is expected to come into service in 2028. The train will make connections to SoCal easier if all goes according to plan. Moreover, a smaller commercial airport serves the city of Laughlin, Nevada, across the Colorado River in Arizona, about 100 miles from Las Vegas.