Las Vegas stadium opposed by Southwest Airlines. Southwest has the biggest share of passenger traffic at the Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. Executives at the Dallas based airline sent a letter to the Clark County Commissioner this week. The letter stated that they were concerned about a plan to place a new stadium next to the airport. The 65,000 seat stadium plan would be constructed on land owned by the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. The$1.2 billion UNLV domed stadium plan is being pitched by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation. The college campus is located just across from the airport.
Southwest Airlines has two main concerns. Those are landing safety and passengers being delayed trying to get to the airport due to traffic congestion. The letter was signed by both Southwest Airlines Vice President Bob Montgomery and Captain Craig Drew. Southwest carried 1.6 million passengers at the airport just in May. That amounts to about four times the people as second place American Airlines. The Federal Aviation Administration would also have to approve any stadium plans near an airport. The FAA shot down a plan to build a new stadium at the UNLV campus in 2014.
Las Vegas stadium alternate sites
The 42 acres on the college campus is just one site being considered to bring the Raiders from Oakland. The site of the imploded Riviera hotel and casino is also in the running. The land was purchased by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to expand the convention center. The site is large enough to include parking, and is on the Las Vegas Strip. Another site is the Rock in Rio festival grounds located at Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue. The property is currently owned by MGM Resorts International. It is located further north on the strip, would require large infrastructure costs to improve traffic requirements. That land could cost an estimated $100 to $200 million to acquire, which could be a deal killer.
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