1,500 more parking spots coming to Las Vegas airport after ‘unprecedented’ demand

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - More than 1,500 new parking spots are coming to Harry Reid International Airport’s Terminal 1 after officials described recent holiday demand as “unprecedented.”

The new parking spots will replace current employee lots and will be a quick walk into Terminal 1. More than 500 new spots for long-term parking will be in a parking structure, and 1,000 uncovered spots will turn into economy parking. Neither of these lots will require shuttle access.

Workers will now park in a northern lot that is accessible to Terminal 1 from a walking path.

Long-term parking remained full for unusual periods during the Thanksgiving travel season, as well as some of the Christmas holiday. FOX5 reported that, in the midst of the travel rush and many ending up in overflow parking, some worried they would miss their flights.

“In the summertime, we would see capacity reached on Tuesdays and Wednesdays -- much more frequently than we had reached in the past. We wanted to create this convenient option for customers,” said spokesperson Joseph Rajchel.

Airport officials believe the unusual surge in demand can be attributed to more travel from locals; Harry Reid Airport is also the closest option for outlying areas such as St. George, Laughlin, Pahrump and other cities outside the Valley, and those visitors will often drive to Las Vegas and park in long-term parking.

According to Rajchel, there is still a way to open up an overflow lot if there is a need from travelers.

Repaving work will start at the end of January and the project will be completed by Spring Break. Travelers may see some traffic en route to Terminal 1′s Economy lot, as both employees and travelers must park in the present Economy lot for now.

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