Over 25 years since its initial proposal, efforts on the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA) are progressing once more. As reported by The Las Vegas Review-Journal, three public meetings are set for late July to gather testimonies regarding the environmental effects of the facility.
The Ivanpah Valley Airport, initially named in 1998, was suggested for 6,500 acres of ex-Bureau of Land Management desert located 30 miles south of Las Vegas. Situated between the northern town of Jean and the southern town of Primm, it was intended to be flanked by I-15 to the west and the Union Pacific Railroad to the east.
The airport — now renamed and reduced to 5,752 acres in the same location — is anticipated to feature two runways and a terminal intended to accommodate up to 35 million passengers annually.
That’s the number considered essential to support air traffic at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), which is projected to hit its peak capacity of 63–65 million passengers each year by 2030.
Even with construction commencing as scheduled (by 2029) and the SNSA launching as planned (by 2037), Harry Reid will have already achieved or surpassed capacity for seven years by that point.
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The environmental impact statement process of SNSA was postponed for nearly two years after the 2008 financial crisis. It faced suspension again in 2010, allegedly because of lingering environmental issues. The 2024 KNPR article referenced its effect on the desert tortoise and a unique plant known as the white-margined penstemon.
The procedure was interrupted once more by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but resumed in 2023 thanks to a mix of economic recovery and the resurgence in passenger numbers fueled by the region's thriving new sports industry.
The section being examined in the environmental study encompasses the 5,752 acres suggested for the airport, along with 2,430 proposed for flood mitigation infrastructure and a 17K-acre noise compatibility zone, as reported by the R-J.
The desert tortoise and the white-margined penstemon are anticipated to again pose a challenge for wildlife conservationists.
Airport planners have not established which airlines will operate from SNSA. Determining how to transport 35 million individuals from SNSA to the Strip should be a role of Brightline West. Anticipated to launch in 2028, the high-speed train is projected to transport travelers between the new airport and a station that is currently being designed 2-3 miles south of the Strip.
