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LAS VEGAS (AP) — If Taylor Swift flies from her upcoming concert in Tokyo to Las Vegas to see boyfriend travis kelce play the Super Bowl the next day, you better already have a place to park your plane.
There has been talk of drop-off locations for private planes at airports in and around Las Vegas, airport and Federal Aviation Administration officials said Thursday. There is just over a week until the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers meet in the NFL championship game.
The four airports immediately around Las Vegas have about 475 parking spaces combined, said Heidi Hayes, spokeswoman for the Clark County Aviation Department.
“Oh, they’re full,” said Rick Breitenfeldt, FAA spokesman for its sixth Super Bowl.
IT’S NOT THE FIRST TIME
Las Vegas-area airports also reached capacity for private jets during the inaugural Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix auto race in November, Hayes said.
Clark County handles Harry Reid International, one of the busiest passenger airports in the U.S., along with busy general aviation airports in the northern suburbs of Las Vegas and Henderson. Hayes also checked Boulder City Municipal Airport, about 24 miles (39 kilometers) east of Las Vegas.
Air traffic is expected to be heavy. Commercial airlines have added flights and the Las Vegas airport reported Wednesday that it handled a record 57.6 million passengers in 2023. That’s an average of almost 160,000 people per day.
COULD SWIFT COME TO THE GAME?
The last of four scheduled Tokyo shows on Swift’s Eras Tour is February 10. Due to time zone differences, if you leave at midnight, it will be 7am on Saturday in Las Vegas.
A spokesperson for Swift did not respond Thursday to questions about whether Swift plans to attend the Super Bowl, whether she has made travel arrangements or where her pilots might park a plane.
Swift has more than one private jet, including a Dassault Falcon 900 that typically seats at least 12 people and flies up to 590 mph (950 kph).
Barring delays, if the flight from Swift to Las Vegas takes 11 or 12 hours, could arrive in Las Vegas the day before the game after crossing nine time zones and the international date line.
WHY IS AIRCRAFT PARKING SO SHORT?
There aren’t as many airports around Las Vegas as there are around Glendale, Arizona, where The Super Bowl was played last year. He WM Phoenix Open A golf tournament was also played during Super Bowl week in 2023. The FAA’s Breitenfeldt said all 1,100 aircraft parking pads in the Phoenix area have been reclaimed.
The NFL does not handle aircraft reservations, league spokesman Brian McCarthy said, but it does coordinate with the FAA, the National Business Aviation Association, host city airport authorities and private commercial aircraft service companies during events. of the Super Bowl. McCarthy said the league does not comment on individual requests.
McCarthy noted that players and fans of the Saudi-financed team LIV Golf League He will also be in Las Vegas for a tournament Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Las Vegas Country Club before Sunday’s football game at the 60,000-seat Allegiant Stadium.
CAN THE PLANES BE PARKED ELSEWHERE?
There may still be slots available for what Hayes and Breitenfeldt called “drop-and-go” flights. That’s where pilots drop off passengers and then fly to another airport to park.
Airports within a 100-mile (161-kilometer) radius of Las Vegas include Mesquite Municipal Airport in Nevada and Laughlin-Bullhead International Airport in Arizona. The Jean Sport Aviation Center, a runway visible from Interstate 15 that does not have a control tower, is located south of Las Vegas.
The closest major California airports are Ontario International, San Bernardino International, Palm Springs International and Palmdale Regional, each of which is less than 200 miles (322 kilometers) away.
Los Angeles International, John Wayne International near Santa Ana, Long Beach International and Hollywood/Burbank airports are each 250 miles (402 kilometers) from Las Vegas. Phoenix is approximately 255 miles (410 kilometers).
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PARK?
It could be cheaper for plane owners to park a multimillion-dollar plane for the Super Bowl than for a car owner to attend the game, where seat tickets sold for more than $8,000 each.
Hayes said aircraft parking rates during Super Bowl weekend at Harry Reid International remained unchanged from the standard rate. That equates to between $20 and $150 per day, depending on the size of the plane.
Meanwhile, only one MGM Resorts International casino near the stadium, Mandalay Bay, still offered game-day garage parking. Bookings on Thursday, at $100. The company’s nearby Luxor and Excalibur had nothing available.