McCarran International Airport

Airport News

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We’re ending the week with a round-up of airport news and activities

Ugly Sweaters in Las Vegas

In Las Vegas, Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) – the airport formerly known as McCarran International Airport – hosted its annual ugly sweater competition. And this week the airport also officially switched over to its new name, which honors retired Democratic U.S. Senate majority leader Harry Reid.

Spot an Elf, Win a Gift Card at PVD Airport

Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) is having some fun with the #RIAirportelf and offering airport visitors a chance to win gift cards.

Fresh Art at John Wayne Airport

Behind the Tent – by Wednesday Aja

The newest exhibit at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, CA features photography by Wednesday Aja offering a unique view of the circus.

“Enchanted by the worlds of sequins and makeup, performers, and trapeze artists, Wednesday Ajaā€™s work reveals the magic that transforms for a song ā€“ or a circus season ā€“ inviting the viewer to come along and get lost in the magic.”

The photographs on exhibit at John Wayne Airport are from Ajaā€™s ā€˜Troupes and Tribesā€™ ongoing series exploring themes of custom, costume, and community. Find them (pre-security) on the Departure (upper) Level near security screening areas in Terminals A, B, and C and on the Arrival (lower) Level adjacent to Baggage Carousels 1 and 4.

Another Milestone at LaGuardia

Terminal B West Concourse, Courtesy LaGuardia Gateway Partners

The West Concourse of Terminal B Ā at New York’s LaGuardia Airport has opened. This phase includes the opening of four new gates and triggers the closure of the final gates of the original Central Terminal Building.

In addition to a 350+ seat American Airlines Admiral Club (Phase 1 is open now; the club should be complete by Spring 2022), the West Concourse has a charming children’s play area modeled after New York City.
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Icelandair’s Holiday Ad. Based on a Trues Story.

Airport Tidbits from Here and There

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Facebook and Instagram may have been down on Monday, but Twitter was there for airports to share news and fun tidbits. Here are some items that caught our attention.

Not vaccinated yet?

Please get with the program so you can travel safely. Many airports around the country make it easy to get the jab.

Airports are celebrating National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month

We love airport freebies. Don’t you?

New airport names; new airline planes

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Alaska Airlines’ new Pride-inspired plane

We are totally loving Alaska Airline’s newly decorated Pride-inspired plane supporting the LGBTQ+ community. It’s the first of its kind in the United States and will be flying throughout the airline’s network for the next year.

Airport name changes

It’s official. T.F. Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island is now Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport (PVD).

Why did they make the change?

“Of the 376 primary mainland airports in the country as defined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) only 32, including T. F. Green Airport, did not have the city, region or state in its name,” the airport explains in a statement. And adding the geographical identifier “will better position Rhode Islandā€™s main airport to support the stateā€™s economy and tourism sector.”

Las Vegas’ McCarran Int’l Airport renamed for Harry Reid

Since 1968, the airport in Las Vegas has been named for Nevada’s late U.S. senator, Pat McCarran. He helped get the airport built, but left a legacy of racism and anti-Semitism. But earlier this year, Clark County commissioners in Nevada voted to change the name of the airport to Harry Reid International Airport, to honor the man who served as a Democratic senator from Nevada from 1987 to 2017.

The name change isn’t quite official with the FAA just yet. But it looks like it is a pretty darn close because the name change is already being reflected on FAA charts.

New Art Gallery at Indianapolis International Airport

IndianapolisĀ InternationalĀ Airport (IND), which opened in 2008 with $4 million in permanent art, now has an art gallery.

Called the KIND Gallery after the airportā€™s internationalĀ airportĀ code, the new gallery will feature rotating temporary art exhibits curated and coordinated in partnership with the Arts Council ofĀ Indianapolis.

The first gallery show is titled ā€œPareidolia.” The term refers to “the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern” and each artist in the show used clouds as their prompt to set their creativity into motion.

Happy Valentine’s Day

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Charles Lindbergh-themed Valentine

Happy Valentine’s Day

We hope your day is filled with flights of fancy. And, of course, chocolate and flowers.

Sadly, this is the first Valentine’s Day in 10 years that Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) won’t have its ambassadors out in the terminal giving carnations to traveling lovebirds.

“Our ambassador program is currently suspended but we hope to get them back soon. Ā There is hope for Motherā€™s Day,” says airport spokesman Bryan Long.

Jacksonville Airport

And this year concerns about COVID-19 meant there was no marriage license pop-up desk at McCarran International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas.

The culprit? COVID-19.

But many airports did celebrate Valentine’s Day in their own way.

If we missed your airport, let us know and we’ll add them to the list.

More ways to mask up at airports

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Courtesy Ashley Chung

More ways to mask up at airports

A few weeks back we celebrated Mask Monday with some fun “Wear your mask” reminders from airports.

Since then, many airports have gotten in touch to show off their branded masks and the creative ways they are reminding travelers to mask up.

Here’s a sampling. Let us know if you have one to add.

Here’s how Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) encourages passengers to mask up.

Here’s a snazzy mask from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

This one, from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, glows in the dark! (You can buy one at Mr. Boxer in the C Concourse)

These are from Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO)

This snazzy mask is for sale in the gift shops at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport (ICT)

And the masks below, along with everything else you see pictured, are from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) and are for sale in the GSP online store.

Have an airport-branded mask to show off? Send it along.