Scores of private planes due to arrive in Las Vegas ahead of Grand Prix

When scores of private aircraft make their way to Southern Nevada airports this week for the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix their owners will be paying more than they did last year thanks to a rate increase approved by the Clark County Commission in October.

As of Monday afternoon, county officials said 272 reservations have been made to park at Henderson Executive Airport and 115 have reserved at North Las Vegas Airport.

At Harry Reid International Airport, two companies — Signature Aviation and Atlantic Aviation — serve as fixed-based operators managing general aviation for Nevada’s largest airport, but as of late Monday, neither had responded to requests for a count on the number of planes with reservations coming in.

It’s impossible to determine the total capacity for planes at Henderson and North Las Vegas because the size of the aircraft could dictate how much space is available.

Airport officials had no estimates on the amount of revenue expected to be generated from arriving planes, mostly because it hasn’t been determined just how many are coming by Thursday, the first day of practice runs for the race.

Whatever that number ends up being, it’s expected to be higher than the total collected in 2024 because rates were increased by the Clark County Commission in October.

Rate increase

Rates went up by around 10 percent over last year, but the ordinance unanimously approved by commissioners gives the airport the flexibility to increase rates by as much as double over time.

The Clark County Department of Aviation has distributed flyers that explain the cost of landing and parking an aircraft at Henderson or North Las Vegas. Rates vary by the size of the aircraft, which is calculated by multiplying the length of the plane by the wingspan.

Special event fees are $200 per arrival for planes taking up 1,250 square feet or less; $2,000 per arrival for planes taking up between 1,250 square feet and 3,500 square feet; and $3,000 per arrival for planes taking up more than 3,500 square feet. The special event fees are charged separately from the use fees raised by the County Commission.

There are separate fees for using hangars or tie-downs for aircraft.

Public information administrator Luke Nimmo said Monday that pilots are being encouraged to park or fly to Henderson or North Las Vegas to reduce congestion for commercial traffic at Reid International. The Henderson and North Las Vegas airports are incentivizing arrivals by offering discounts on ramp and overnight fees based on fuel purchases. Discounts will be based on the size of aircraft and the amount of fuel purchased to determine which incentives are applied.

Congestion at Reid International is expected to pick up in the days ahead as the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday ended flight restrictions as of 3 a.m., Las Vegas time. A 6 percent reduction in flights had been ordered at 40 airports, including Reid, during the 43-day government shutdown that ended last week.

Several airports available

Nimmo said reservations are being taken on a first come, first served basis. With Henderson and North Las Vegas, the Clark County Department of Aviation oversees the Jean Sports Aviation Center and Perkins Field at Overton, and planes have parked there during previous Formula One events.

Once space is filled at the local airports, pilots would be directed to other nearby airports that aren’t within the Clark County system, including municipal airports at Boulder City; Mesquite; Bullhead City, Arizona; and St. George, Utah. Nimmo said that last year, at least one pilot ended up parking in Phoenix after dropping off passengers.

Some pilots fly to Southern Nevada on a drop-and-go basis. They’ll land at Reid, drop off their passengers at one of the fixed-based operations, then fly out and park elsewhere.

Because the Formula One race has international appeal, it’s possible that some arrivals at Henderson will need U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents to meet their planes. So far, only two arrivals are coming from international destinations, but last year, there were 16 total. Nimmo said it’s also possible that international arrivals could clear Customs elsewhere and fly into Southern Nevada without the need for local clearance.

Also new for Formula One private plane operations this year is the need for pilots to request prior permission for departures on Sunday when the most air traffic is anticipated. Pilots have been asked to make formal requests for a departure time slot if they’re leaving Sunday.

The slotted departure times don’t apply to locally based pilots.

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