Randall Walker, Clark County Director of Aviation

By Brian Eckhouse

Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Since 1997, Randall Walker has directed McCarran International Airport through tremendous growth. At the airport’s peak, in 2007, more than 47 million passengers flew through McCarran, up from 30.3 million in Walker’s first year. In the fall, the airport completed the final wing of Terminal 1’s fourth concourse and construction recently began on Terminal 3, which is scheduled to open in mid-2012.

Does the airport feel crowded these days?

Traffic was down almost 14 percent compared to 2007, and we think it will stay at that level this year. In 2007, we were severely strained at the checkpoints, baggage claim and ticketing and had anticipated those stresses to remain until Terminal 3 opens.

You recently proposed trimming $30 million from the budget, including by freezing more than 100 unfilled positions. Will the decline in tourism affect how the airport operates?

WestJet will move from the A concourse to B, and we’ll close some gates in A. We’ll dim the lights back there, close the restrooms and ease up on maintenance. We can do this because US Airways, which uses the B concourse, has been cutting back flights. If travel suddenly picks up, we could reopen them in a week or two.

Any other changes?

We historically replaced hand towels in the bathrooms when the rolls had 20 percent left. Now we’ll let them run out before replacing them. It’ll save paper and staff hours.

Some critics have publicly chided McCarran as an unsuitable gateway to the valley.

I disagree, and it shows when you see the J.D. Power and Associates surveys. (McCarran tied for second in customer satisfaction in May.) We emphasize to our employees that tourists’ first and last look of Las Vegas is this airport. We must ensure attractiveness and functionality.

But there are complaints.

And we respond to customer surveys. After CES (Consumer Electronics Show) ended in 2003, there was a three-hour wait to get through security, when we had 19 lines. People complained. We’re now up to 44 lines. In 2004, we heard there weren’t enough national retailers here. Bose is now here, and Brooks Brothers is coming in.

Has there been too much development near the airport?

In recent years, the county commissioners have been wise in terms of what they’ve allowed built near the airport. Homes, for example, are incompatible near an airport. People want to sleep or be out on the patio in peace.