What you're seeing over Las Vegas
The jets you see sliding past the hotels on the Las Vegas Strip are almost all heading for Harry Reid International, which sits right at the south end of the Strip. Southwest is the biggest airline there by far, with Spirit, Frontier, Allegiant, Delta, American, United and many others bringing in visitors around the clock, and the airport's runways are so close to the resorts that arrivals pass a few hundred feet from some of the towers.
Las Vegas also has some of the most varied flying in the country. Tour helicopters fly up and down the Strip at night and out to the Grand Canyon by day, small planes fly sightseeing trips to the Hoover Dam, and Nellis Air Force Base, northeast of the city, is home to the Thunderbirds and to Red Flag, the Air Force's big air combat exercise. You may even see the unmarked 737s known as Janet flights, which carry workers to remote test sites. The live map helps sort it all out, and our guide on why helicopters circle explains what those tours over the Strip are doing.
Airports near Las Vegas
- commercialLASHarry Reid International Airport
KLAS · 6 miles south of downtown
One of the country's busiest airports, at the south end of the Strip, with Southwest as the largest carrier. Live traffic at LAS ↗ - general aviationVGTNorth Las Vegas Airport
KVGT · 4 miles northwest of downtown
A busy general aviation airport used heavily by flight schools and sightseeing operators. Live traffic at VGT ↗ - relieverHSHHenderson Executive Airport
KHND · 14 miles south of downtown
A business-aviation airport south of the Strip, also used by tour helicopters. Live traffic at HSH ↗ - militaryLSVNellis Air Force Base
KLSV · 7 miles northeast of downtown
Home of the Thunderbirds, the Air Force Weapons School and the Red Flag exercises. Live traffic at LSV ↗ - general aviationBLDBoulder City Municipal Airport
KBVU · 22 miles southeast of downtown
A small airport near Hoover Dam that serves as a base for Grand Canyon tour flights. Live traffic at BLD ↗
Common traffic over Las Vegas
Southwest flies far more flights than any other airline at LAS, with 737 MAX 8s and 737-800s, while Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant fly A320-family jets, and the major network airlines connect Las Vegas with their hubs. International carriers from Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia add widebodies such as 787s and A350s.
LAS has four runways in two parallel pairs, one east-west and one roughly north-south, and it mixes them in several combinations. In plain English:
- Southwest winds, the most common: arrivals usually land toward the west or south, approaching over the east side of the valley and Henderson, and many departures climb out to the west toward the Spring Mountains before turning.
- North winds, often in winter: the airport flips to north and east operations, so arrivals approach from the south and west and departures head out over the east and north of the valley.
Tour flights are a Las Vegas specialty. Helicopters fly short, low tours up and down the Strip after dark, and helicopters and small planes such as the Cessna Caravan fly to the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam from Henderson and Boulder City.
Military flying comes from Nellis, where F-35s, F-15s, F-16s and other fighters train, and the Thunderbirds practice. During Red Flag exercises, large formations of fighters, tankers, AWACS and bombers fly out to the Nevada Test and Training Range, often with jets from allied countries. The Janet flights, unmarked white 737s widely reported to shuttle government workers to remote test sites, operate from a private terminal at LAS. Many military aircraft fly without broadcasting, so they may not appear on public trackers.
Aircraft you'll often see here
Boeing 737 MAX 8
narrowbody airliner
Boeing 737-800
narrowbody airliner
Airbus A320
narrowbody airliner
Airbus A321
narrowbody airliner
Airbus A320neo
narrowbody airliner
Cessna 208 Caravan
single-engine utility turboprop
Airbus H125 / AS350 Ecureuil
light single-engine helicopter
Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
long-haul widebody twin-jet
Plane-spotting tips for Las Vegas
Sunset Park, east of LAS, is one of the best-known spotting places in the city, with views of arrivals and departures and shade trees for the desert heat. The top floors of the Strip resorts, especially on the south end, give an unusual view of jets passing beside the towers. For Nellis, the roads near the base perimeter, along Las Vegas Boulevard North, give views of fighters landing and taking off, especially during Red Flag. From downtown, look south toward the airport. Summer heat can reach well over 100 degrees, so bring water and plan for early mornings, when the air is clearer and the light better for photos.
Las Vegas sky questions
Why do planes fly so close to the Las Vegas Strip?
Harry Reid International sits at the south end of the Strip, so arrivals and departures pass close to the resorts, especially on the east side of the airport.
What are the helicopters flying over the Strip at night?
They are mostly sightseeing tour helicopters that fly short, low flights up and down the Strip after dark.
What are the fighter jets over Las Vegas?
They are usually from Nellis Air Force Base, home of the Thunderbirds, the Air Force Weapons School and the Red Flag exercises, which bring fighters from across the US and allied countries.
Nearby cities
Planes over Riverside (199 mi) · Planes over Los Angeles (228 mi) · Planes over Phoenix (256 mi) · Planes over San Diego (265 mi)