Las Vegas Airport Tower Closes After Controller Gets Virus
- Controller found to have Covid-19 on Wednesday, FAA says
- Flights continuing at reduced rate under backup procedures
The air traffic control tower at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada on Aug. 30, 2019.
Photographer: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
An air-traffic controller at the Las Vegas McCarran International Airport tower tested positive for Covid-19, prompting the closing of the facility and a dramatic reduction in the rate of flights.
The controller was found to have the virus Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement on Thursday. As of 9:08 a.m. local time, airlines had canceled 463 flights to and from the airport, or more than 35%, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.