HARRY REID’S AIRPORT DISASTER

Sept 1, 2024

Harry Reid Airport landed on every bad list possible this year. Our airport was just rated as the worst run major airport in the nation, with the worst departure delays in the FAA system. Worse than Chicago O’Hare Airport, worse than Detroit, and even worse than Newark Airport. Harry Reid International Airport had nearly 30,000 flights with 15-minute delays or longer.

Rosemary Vassiliadisa, Director of the Clark County Dept. of Aviation, blamed the delays on our weather and too many private jets for the 30,000+ flight delays in a public statement.

If that’s not bad enough, Harry Reid Airport also has one of the worst TSA security line wait times in the country.

Senator Harry Reid made sure Rosemary Vassiliadisa, a politically connected Democratic supporter, was appointed the Director of the Clark County Dept. of Aviation before he passed away. Her sole purpose in getting that powerful gig was to change the name of the airport to Harry Reid International Airport.

The Clark County Dept. of Aviation owns and operates all the airports in the valley, including Harry Reid International Airport, North Las Vegas Airport, Henderson Executive Airport, and the Overton Airport. Harry Reid International Airport is the heart of our tourism machine, bringing some 53 million travelers to Las Vegas last year. What background and experience does Rosemary bring to run the 8th largest airport in the country? Not an ounce of aviation experience. None.

Rosemary Vassiliadis has a degree in accounting from DePaul University. In 1984, she was hired as a financial analyst for the City of Las Vegas. She worked her way up bureaucracy to become the chief of budget and finance for the City of Las Vegas before moving over to the county department of finance. She spent a couple of years as the county’s director of finance until 1997, when she joined the Clark County Department of Aviation as the deputy director. In March of 2013, when Randy Walker retired, she was appointed director.

Besides flying first class, she has zero aviation experience. But remember her hook was changing the airport’s name to Harry Reid? She promised the taxpayers this would be done with private money. She went out to Harry Reid supporters and raised millions. But she couldn’t get this done on time either. According to Mega Donor, former Diamond Resorts CEO and founder Stephen Cloobeck donated $2.7 million three years ago, and he’s still waiting for Rosemary to finish changing all the signs.

But those delays are nothing compared to the delays getting the new Ivanpah Clark County International Airport construction started. In 1999, President Clinton signed a bill written by Senator Harry Reid to transfer thousands of acres of BLM land to the Clark County Department of Aviation to build the new International Airport. Rosemary, the director since 2013, just announced she needs another 17 years to study the project before maybe starting construction. For those of you who went to public school, that adds up to 37 years to study a new airport project.

In the mean time, Rosemary did everything she could to block the new private Las Vegas Executive Airport just approved by the Clark County Commission and FAA.

So remember the next time your stuck in a long TSA line at least your plane will probably be delayed long enough to for you to catch it thanks to Harry Reid.