State of the art

The airport also has taken a state-of-the-art approach to baggage. Since 2005, radio frequency identification (RFID) chips in baggage tags have made it easy to keep track of bags and make sure they get on the correct flights. McCarran also developed software to control the flow of incoming baggage so that carousels are never overwhelmed. If more than three flights are using the same carousel, the network automatically assigns a second—and if necessary a third—carousel to spread out the traffic in the baggage area.

Technology will play a major role in enhancing the passenger experience in Terminal 3. McCarran will be among the first airports in the nation to feature automatic boarding gates that allow passengers onto planes by scanning a boarding pass or mobile device. In addition, new equipment will enable passengers to tag their own luggage, thereby avoiding long lines at check-in counters.

Terminal 3—the largest ongoing construction project in Nevada—is an exercise in logistics on a mass scale, with multiple contractors and an army of craft workers (nearly 2,000 at peak construction last December). It is Bechtel’s job to make sure everyone is pulling together to get the job done—without disruption of daily operations at one of the 20 busiest airports in the world.