Airspace over Las Vegas to be restricted New Year's Eve
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 8:20 pm
By ADAM GOLDMAN
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS (AP) - The airspace over the Las Vegas Strip will be restricted New Year's Eve as tens of thousands of people celebrate in the street below, state and federal officials said Monday.
Jerry Bussell, Gov. Kenny Guinn's adviser on homeland security, said the temporary flight restriction will be issued for the festivities that could draw some 300,000 revelers to the busy Strip.
Each year, thousands of people jam Las Vegas Boulevard, where 18 of the 20 nation's largest hotels are located. Traffic is blocked off and crowds enjoy concerts and a midnight fireworks show to ring in the new year.
Rachael Sunbarger, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Washington, said her agency and the Transportation Security Administration approved the request Monday.
The no-fly restrictions will be in effect from 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve until 3 a.m. on Jan. 1, covering a 10-nautical-mile radius from the center of McCarran International Airport, airport spokeswoman Debbie Millett said.
The flight restrictions will not affect commercial airliners or medical, police or military flights. Private planes and tour helicopters will not be allowed in the restricted air space.
Officials would not comment on the reasons behind the no-fly zone order.
Last week, Bussell said federal Homeland Security officials told him there was no known terrorist threat to Las Vegas, despite published reports that quoted an unnamed U.S. government official saying a possible plot to attack Las Vegas or another city was behind the cancellation of three Paris-to-Los Angeles flights on Christmas Eve.
Special Agent Todd Palmer, an FBI spokesman in Las Vegas, said Monday that there were no specific threats against Las Vegas or Nevada.
The nation's terror alert level was raised from "elevated" to "high" Dec. 21 after intelligence officials gathered information that al-Qaida might be planning a major attack. U.S. officials said they were exercising caution because of the holiday season, increased travel and large gatherings at events including New Year's celebrations in New York, Las Vegas and elsewhere, officials said.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS (AP) - The airspace over the Las Vegas Strip will be restricted New Year's Eve as tens of thousands of people celebrate in the street below, state and federal officials said Monday.
Jerry Bussell, Gov. Kenny Guinn's adviser on homeland security, said the temporary flight restriction will be issued for the festivities that could draw some 300,000 revelers to the busy Strip.
Each year, thousands of people jam Las Vegas Boulevard, where 18 of the 20 nation's largest hotels are located. Traffic is blocked off and crowds enjoy concerts and a midnight fireworks show to ring in the new year.
Rachael Sunbarger, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Washington, said her agency and the Transportation Security Administration approved the request Monday.
The no-fly restrictions will be in effect from 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve until 3 a.m. on Jan. 1, covering a 10-nautical-mile radius from the center of McCarran International Airport, airport spokeswoman Debbie Millett said.
The flight restrictions will not affect commercial airliners or medical, police or military flights. Private planes and tour helicopters will not be allowed in the restricted air space.
Officials would not comment on the reasons behind the no-fly zone order.
Last week, Bussell said federal Homeland Security officials told him there was no known terrorist threat to Las Vegas, despite published reports that quoted an unnamed U.S. government official saying a possible plot to attack Las Vegas or another city was behind the cancellation of three Paris-to-Los Angeles flights on Christmas Eve.
Special Agent Todd Palmer, an FBI spokesman in Las Vegas, said Monday that there were no specific threats against Las Vegas or Nevada.
The nation's terror alert level was raised from "elevated" to "high" Dec. 21 after intelligence officials gathered information that al-Qaida might be planning a major attack. U.S. officials said they were exercising caution because of the holiday season, increased travel and large gatherings at events including New Year's celebrations in New York, Las Vegas and elsewhere, officials said.
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