Airlines, Hotels Clash Over Vegas Airport

Las Vegas, a city built for visitors, is ground zero in the airline industry's effort to cut back on marginally profitable flights.

But the city's powerful hoteliers are none too happy about the cutbacks. They still want the carriers to finance a new airport terminal, which is needed to support 32,000 additional hotel rooms slated to open by 2012.

The timing is unfortunate. Traffic at McCarran International Airport fell 8.6% in July, compared with the same month a year earlier. In fact, traffic has fallen every month this year, except for February, which had the benefit of leap day in 2008. And the airlines aren't finished cutting. ...