# Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport

Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA), previously known as Ivanpah Valley Airport, is a new commercial airport in development by the Clark County Department of Aviation (CCDOA), located along Interstate 15 (I-15) between the towns of Jean and Primm in Clark County, Nevada, approximately 23 miles (37 km) south of the Las Vegas Strip.

## Overview

The airport is intended to provide long-term aviation capacity for the Las Vegas metropolitan area, primarily serving domestic, international, charter, and cargo flights. The new airport site covers an area of 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) and an additional 17,000 acres (6,900 ha) of land that are set aside as a compatibility buffer, making the new airport site over 23,000 acres (9,300 ha).
The new SNSA will be the second international airport serving Southern Nevada along with the landlocked Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) which has experienced robust growth in passenger count in recent years as Las Vegas has become a major destination market for leisure, conference, sports, as well as a growing business hub, making Harry Reid International Airport the sixth busiest airport in the United States.
Clark County Department of Aviation officials are expecting Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) to reach its full capacity of 63 million passengers annually by 2030.

### SNSA Airport development

The Clark County Department of Aviation is teaming up with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to make decisions on the four phases of the new airport development - planning, design, construction and operation. The environmental review comes at the end of the planning phase and at the beginning of the design phase.
On June 18,2024, the Clark County Board of Commissioners approved a $1 million contract to retain Landrum and Brown Aviation Consultants to prepare the Environmental Impact Statement for the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA).

### Construction

Construction of the new SNSA is expected to begin by 2029 with completion as early as 2035. The new airport will be the single largest public works project in the history of Nevada. According to the Clark County Department of Aviation, the new airport is projected to cost between $6 billion and $14 billion to develop and build.

### Terminals and gates

The initial layout of the new airport features multiple terminals with 153 gates and two runways, RWY 18L-36R (12,000 feet long by 150 feet wide), and RWY 18R-36L (15,000 feet long by 200 feet wide) which will make it one of the longest civil runways in the United States.
The runways will be capable of handling some of the largest and heaviest aircraft in the world. Once completed, the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA) will rival some of the largest airports in the United States, such as Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Denver International Airport and will rank as one of the top 7 largest airports in the United States by land area.

### SNSA Transportation and Utility Corridor

As part of the SNSA development, Clark County is initiating a comprehensive expansion of the 27-mile I-15 south corridor between Sloan and Primm, Nevada, with Jean serving as the primary entry point to the new airport.
The freeway will be widened from its current 6 lanes to 14 lanes, accommodating increased traffic and a right-of-way for the Brightline West train, which is currently in development. The expansion will also feature dedicated ramps providing direct access to and from the airport, ensuring seamless travel into Las Vegas and minimizing potential traffic delays.
The SNSA development will incorporate multiple transportation modes, including trams and buses. Additionally, light rail and a Boring Company tunnel are under consideration to further enhance connectivity.
In conjunction with the airport project, Clark County is also executing a significant utility infrastructure upgrade to bring water, electricity, and reclamation services to the site at Jean, Nevada.

### Economic impact

The airport will have a positive economic impact for the Greater Las Vegas metropolitan area and the nearby towns of Goodsprings, Primm, and Sandy Valley. The new Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport will generate increased economic activity, connect communities, maintain and improve infrastructure, and improve Nevada’s transportation network. The new airport is expected to create thousands of construction jobs, and thousands of permanent jobs once the airport is complete.

### Access to airport

The SNSA will be accessible from Las Vegas via Interstate 15 (I-15) at the Jean exit, as well as from the towns of Goodsprings and Sandy Valley via Nevada State Route 161.

## History

The airport project, previously called the Ivanpah Valley Airport, has been renamed to Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA).
The Clark County Department of Aviation (CCDOA) is developing the new Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA) on land that was conveyed by patent, by an act of Congress, to Clark County pursuant to the Ivanpah Valley Airport Public Lands Act of 2000.
Clark County is authorized to acquire an additional 17,000 acres of land from the Bureau of Land Management, under a provision in the 2002 Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act, to serve as a compatibility buffer surrounding the new airport. The land use and zoning surrounding the new Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA) will be compatible with normal airport operations.

## Formation of new town

The Nevada State Legislature, on March 10, 2023, approved Bill SB19 by unanimous vote for the creation of a new commercial town in Clark County for the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA). A name for the new town has yet to be selected.