From 1968 to December 14, 2021, Las Vegas’s Airport was called McCarran International Airport. And prior to 1968, it was named McCarran Field, named after former Senator Pat McCarran.
And from today the airport is officially renamed as Harry Reid International Airport.
From as early as 2012 there have been calls by elected officials to rename the airport, due to the past actions and comments of the late Nevada senator that have been viewed as anti-semitic and racist. U.S. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada told the press in 2012 while he was Majority Leader that McCarran “…was one of the most anti-Semitic… one of the most anti-black, one of the most prejudiced people who has ever served in the Senate,” adding it was his opinion that McCarran’s name should not be on anything.
After previous attempts failed to pass between 2016 and 2019, there was renewed momentum to rename the airport after the murder of George Floyd and the protests in the U.S. that followed.
On February 16, 2021, the Clark County Commission voted unanimously to rename the airport Harry Reid International Airport.
Airport officials expected the renaming to cost $4.2 million, with no public money going towards the cost. It was announced on December 11, 2021, that the airport will officially be dropping McCarran for Harry Reid on December 14, 2021.
The Federal Aviation Administration updated its official aeronautical charts in June 2021 to reflect the new name
