Harry Reid International Airport: the gateway to Las Vegas

There are airports and then there is Harry Reid International Airport.

Serving as the gateway to Las Vegas, the airport is in a unique position as the entry point for millions of excited passengers seeking to explore the hubbub of one of the United States’ greatest tourist spots.

In 2024, the airport shattered its annual passenger record, serving 58.4 million passengers, making for the busiest year in its history. With 33 airlines offering nonstop service to nearly 160 destinations worldwide, Harry Reid International Airport connects travellers to one of the most captivating destinations in the world.

The airport is named after the late US senator from Nevada, Harry Reid. It has four runways and two terminals with five concourses connected via a people mover system. Owned and operated by Clark County, Nevada, it continues to play a pivotal role in the region’s tourism and economy.

The door to Las Vegas

Rishma M. Khimji is the Chief Information Technology Officer at Harry Reid International Airport. Having been in the role for almost three years, she believes operating as the door to Las Vegas is special.

“We are a destination airport, so when people arrive in Vegas, they are here for Vegas,” explains Khimji. “They don’t just come here and immediately catch another flight to somewhere else. Plus, we now have one of the greatest sports arenas in the world. We’re home to the WNBA, NHL, Formula One, and the Raiders in the NFL, and soon, we’ll have Major League Baseball and the NBA as well. These incredible professional sports teams and events will continue to draw massive interest.

“Beyond that, we have world-class resorts and casinos, offering everything from top-tier gaming to an incredible dining and fashion scene. Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll find it here in Vegas, making it an unbeatable destination. Business travellers often turn into leisure travellers because once they’re here, they’ll want to stay a little longer to experience all the destination has to offer.”

“We want to make sure that what you get from our airport is the service you deserve which is VIP  treatment”  – Rishma M. Khimji, Chief Information Technology Officer, Harry Reid International Airport

What makes Harry Reid International Airport special is that passengers fly right into the heart of the destination with views of the sprawling Vegas skyline. Visitors don’t have to travel far to get to the resort corridor like at many other major airports, they arrive into the action immediately. “You can see the Las Vegas Strip from the runway, and so that makes all that glitz and glitter of the lights just that much more attractive, and you feel like you’re in Vegas when you land at the airport,” explains Khimji. “That really helps us build that case that we are your first look of Vegas and we are your last look at Vegas. We want to make sure that what you get from our airport is the service you deserve, which is VIP treatment.”

Embracing new technologies

The influence that advanced technologies such as generative AI (GenAI) is having on organisations has accelerated exponentially in recent years. Harry Reid International Airport is considering introducing new digital tools to make navigating the airport as efficient as possible for its customers.

“As we look to the future, we anticipate the passenger processing to be more seamless and mobile-friendly. As an example, we want to make sure that when you get to your gate, you’re able to pop up the map on your phone and it directs you to where you need to go in a streamlined and maneuverable manner,” reveals Khimji. “Maybe it guides you through voice prompts or tactile feedback, like vibrations to signal when to turn or go straight. Our goal is to make navigation as seamless as possible for our guests. We don’t want them feeling lost or frustrated—we want them to enjoy their time here in Vegas from the moment they arrive.

“Another key focus is private LTE, which involves exploring new wireless spectrum to enhance our communication capabilities. It’s about leveraging emerging technologies to create a more connected, secure, and accessible network. We’re also looking at how we can improve data transfer between the airport, airlines, and our partners, using that data to make more informed decisions. This helps us optimise airport operations, drive business efficiency, and ultimately improve our return on investment.”

It’s not just about the technology

However, leveraging new technologies is not a silver bullet. For example, generative AI is not a magic wand that will solve all business problems – it requires strategic thought and careful consideration. Khimji believes there are two key challenges that need to be recognised. “One is perception and the other is education,” reveals Khimji. “On the education side, one of our key initiatives at the airport is breaking down what AI truly is. AI is a broad umbrella that includes generative AI, machine learning, and automation, and we want to ensure everyone has a clear understanding of these technologies. By educating our teams, we’re creating a level playing field—so when they explore available tools and services, they know exactly what to ask for and can get the right solutions to meet their needs.

“On the implementation side, we’re setting up the systems needed to support the vast amounts of data that generative AI relies on. How do we make the most of the AI-driven products available? As a Microsoft-based operation, we’re actively experimenting with Copilot to see how it can add value for our users. What services can we integrate through Copilot? How can we ensure our infrastructure is ready to support these tools at the right time?

“Beyond that, we’re re-evaluating our workflows—identifying opportunities for automation, digitisation, and transformation to improve efficiency. If we can streamline processes for our employees, that efficiency will naturally extend to the guest experience. By leveraging these tools effectively, we can enhance both operations and the traveler’s journey through the airport.”

2025 focus

Moving forward, Khimji believes that 2025 is the year of humans developing a core understanding of the true capabilities of what AI can do. “Our teams will become even smarter about the tools that are available as they start using generative AI and other AI tools more and more,” she reveals. “People will start understanding what the limitations are because of the data that’s available and learn how to make the data quality better. Over time, as our data quality increases, we’ll learn to have better trust in the systems, and then we’ll see another acceleration in the usage of AI. We’re in a spot right now where we’re trying to figure out, ‘Is this going to work for me and the things I need to get done? Do I trust the information that’s coming from the generative AI tools?”

However, Khimji is clear that developing trust in new technologies takes time and does not happen overnight. As far as she is concerned, organisations should be given time to decide what should be trusted and what shouldn’t. “In the next year or two, we are going to see another ramp-up of new products, services and ways of automating life,” she tells us. “I only hope that as we explore these tools, we start finding ways of using the tools to make our life easier so that in five years, a robot can wash my dishes while I spend more time on arts and crafts. I don’t want generative AI creating my art – I want to do that, humans should do that. It’s about finding ways to save time on routine tasks so we can spend more of it doing the things we truly love.”

Find out more about Harry Reid International Airport here.