Brandon Halvorson, a Northern Nevada resident for nearly two decades, is a frequent user of the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. His work-related travel, often three times a month, takes him from the East Coast to the West Coast, with locations in between.

His only frustration: the lack of direct flights to and from Reno, which often leads to long layovers. 

"If you go the East Coast, it's always a pain. You have to make at least one stop somewhere," Halvorson said.

Airport officials believe that issue will be greatly reduced through More Reno, a $1 billion, seven-year expansion and modernization project that will increase the size and scope of the state's second-largest airport, allowing it to welcome the bigger planes that make longer, nonstop flights. 

The expansion is the first major development since 1981 when the current airport concourses were completed. Since then, the airport went through several remodeling efforts, including a $70 million remodeling in 2010.

"Every month this year has been the busiest month we've had since 2008. We really expect to continue to see that trend," said Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority CEO Cris Jensen.

The airport opened in 1929 and saw its first terminal building completed in time for the 1960 Winter Olympics in Lake Tahoe. 

The need for replacement concourses and other infrastructure improvements were identified in the airport's 2018 master plan, which triggered the current multiphased project. 

Construction began in 2022 with an expansion of the airport's passenger ticketing hall, adding 10,000 square feet and widening the space for easier passenger flow. Improvements were also completed on the roadway that loops throughout the airport, allowing for easier passenger pickups and drop-offs.

The final pieces are in very early stages. Sitework began recently on two much larger A and B concourses that will replace the existing passenger gates that have been in use since the 1980s. 

The new concourses will be wider with a total of 24 gates as opposed to the current 23. Inside, the gates and concourse area will be nearly double the current footprint, offering more space for passenger seating and additional food and beverage options. Renderings show an enhanced design with wood interiors and larger windows. 

Upon their scheduled completion in 2029, the older concourses will be torn down and the expanded tarmac will relieve ramp congestion with dual taxi lanes for aircraft. More parking for overnight aircraft will be added.

The finished product will allow for additional flights and create space for larger airplanes. Jensen told The Nevada Independent in a July interview the construction would lead to new direct flights to and from markets that now require stopovers. 

"Our community, our economy and our tourism business are all headed in the right direction," he said. "We will top 5 million passengers this year. We're confident of that and the opportunity that this will lead to additional carriers and destinations."

According to the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA), Washoe County has drawn more than 3.8 million visitors annually in each of the past four years. Through June, Reno visitation is trending ahead of that total by 5 percent.

In the first six months of 2026, gaming revenue in Washoe County is up 9.6 percent to more than $50 million. Reno alone has accounted for almost $39.1 million of the overall total, an increase of 10.4 percent. Sparks casinos have seen gaming jump 10.2 percent to $8.7 million.

RSCVA CEO Mike Larragueta said the airport's redevelopment will be a positive step in driving additional visitation to the Reno and Lake Tahoe region.

"The expansion is being accomplished with the goal of continuing the ease people have with getting in and out of the airport quickly," Larragueta said. "We're going to have one of the most modern airports in the country."

Reno Airport drew a record 4.9 million passengers in 2025 and is trending ahead of that figure by nearly 3 percent after the first six months of 2026. By comparison, Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas gets about the same number of passengers in a single month.

But Reid has seen passenger volume decline for 15 consecutive months and is down almost 7 percent in 2026. The Reno-Tahoe Airport has seen passenger volume increase by 16 percent since 2019, the last pre-pandemic year. The airport expansion is anticipated to prepare the facility for the growth expected over the next 40 years, according to airport officials.

"We're familiar with our big brother in the south and their numbers," Jensen said, adding the Northern Nevada airport has seen five consecutive years of passenger growth and posted its highest single-month totals in nearly two decades during April and May.

The final portions of the redevelopment project are underway, including a new ground transportation center that will relocate rental car services with space for 10 companies, a central utility plant and a new headquarters for the airport authority and the police department. The current rental car space, located in the existing parking garage, will be converted to additional parking for long-term and short-term customers — something in high demand as the airport often must activate overflow parking lots.

"We're proud to say that even with the magnitude of this amount of work, we've been able to maintain our schedule," Jensen said.

More Reno is being funded by a combination of federal money, private funding and debt. 

Capital improvements are included in the 2025-26 Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority's $116.6 million budget that covers operating expenses, debt service and equipment. 

The airport is funded through two major buckets: airline revenue, which includes landing fees and terminal building rent, and nonairline revenue such as parking fees, concessions (food, beverage and retail) and advertising.

Last month, Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced Reno's airport would receive $13.7 million from the Federal Aviation Administration — the largest portion of a nearly $30 million package for 12 Nevada airports. 

The Reno funds will be used for construction of the new terminals and other upgrades. Reid Airport, the next largest recipient, is receiving more than $3.5 million to rehabilitate pavement across its airport apron and to plan for future improvements. 

"We worked with them closely for funding a significant amount of the More Reno program," Jensen said about the state's senators, adding terminal expansion is one aspect where the money can be used.

The airport's new headquarters building is being funded with debt while the central utility plant "has a significant amount of federal funding." Jensen said the ground transportation center is a public-private funded partnership through several sources, including the rental car companies that utilize the location.

The airport authority paid for the ticket hall expansion and some of the costs for the roadway loop. Other roadway costs came from 2023 federal funds.

Similar to Las Vegas, Reno's airport also generates revenue from slot machines in the passenger areas. The two Nevada locations are the only airports in the country with state-regulated slot machines.

IGT has operated the games in Reno since 1993 and currently has 245 slot machines at the airport. Gaming revenue is listed at $1.56 million, a 7.7 percent increase from the prior year. The figure accounts for 2.6 percent of the overall non-airline revenue of $61 million. 

The airport plans to seek proposals to upgrade the slot offerings. Airport spokeswoman Jena Esposito said it's part of a broader strategy to modernize and refresh the airport's commercial concessions as part of the new concourses.

Reid Airport has approximately 1,000 slot machines, which are operated by a company owned by South Point Casino owner Michael Gaughan. In fiscal year 2025, the games generated almost $59.6 million of the airport's $642.3 million operating revenue.

More opportunities for the region

Northern Nevada business and tourism leaders have welcomed the airport's renovation as a much-needed component to the market's growing and diversifying economic footprint. 

Taylor Adams, CEO of Northern NV Now, the region's economic development agency, said Reno "punches above our weight class" when compared with U.S. communities of similar size. He said an expanded airport will open Northern Nevada to more opportunities for growing the business footprint.

"Our market has continued to grow and our corporate economy has matured," Adams said.

However, he said the airport is "capacity constrained." He credited airport leadership with working to "solve that problem and provide us with newer, larger terminals and better offerings. Everything those guys are doing is needed in the region."

Larragueta said the agency has a list of airlines that can be enticed into the Reno market by 2029. The new destinations could boost visitation and convention attendance. 

In October, Southwest Airlines will begin nonstop round-trip service between Reno and Nashville, which Larragueta called a key business and convention market.

Larragueta, Adams and Jensen regularly meet to discuss the airport and its role in business development.

In addition to finding new U.S. destinations, Jensen would like to grow Northern Nevada's international connection beyond the current daily direct flights between Reno and Guadalajara, Mexico, on Volaris Airlines.

"We're actively working to try to get additional international service," he said. "We'd love to see some service to Canada. We've had that in the past. We'd love to see some service from Reno to a beach destination, such as Cancun. We've been engaged in that conversation."

Gaming industry consultant Brendan Bussmann said Reno's airport expansion is being handled in a similar fashion to other small regional airports in midtier cities with gaming markets, such as Omaha, Nebraska, and Kansas City, Missouri. 

"It's that type of investment that pays long-term dividends when you commit to investment in critical infrastructure," Bussmann said. "Modernizing the experience attracts additional tourism and Reno is positioning itself for that type of growth."

Reno's remodel is part of a trend nationwide among smaller airports, such as the renovation at the Hollywood Burbank Airport, which serves as a secondary airport to Los Angeles International (LAX). In October, Burbank will open a new $1.3 billion terminal that will replace two smaller concourses that have been used for decades.

Reno's larger concourses will double the amount of available concession space. Earlier this summer, the airport began seeking proposals from businesses that might be interested in locations in the expanded area.

"We expect that there will be new offerings, both local businesses and national businesses that people are familiar with," Jensen said.

Jensen took over as airport CEO in June after serving six years as the chief operations and public safety officer. Before joining Reno, he was the airport director at Missoula (Montana) International Airport for almost 16 years.

"We've been very fortunate in Northern Nevada," Jensen said. "Our trajectory continues to be upward. Our community and our economy are all headed in the right direction."

Passengers want direct flights 

Passengers arriving in Reno on a quiet Tuesday afternoon said they like the smallness of the airport, but agreed with the assessment of Reno resident Halvorson — it's tough to get to Northern Nevada.

La Quinta, California, resident Wayne Eisenberg, a frequent Las Vegas visitor who was picking up his golf bag in the Reno airport's baggage claim area for a Northern Nevada golfing excursion, offered a comparison between the airports.

"[Vegas is] larger [and] they have trains that move you around. I think Vegas is a pretty darn good airport," he said. "Reno is just convenient."

Katie Mercado, who arrived from Los Angeles, said smaller airports are "a lot easier to get around and get from your gate to the exit." 

While she flew directly from LAX, Mercado commented that no one likes a layover.

"One of my friends lives in the [Reno] area, and she'll sometimes drive down to Sacramento to get a direct flight. I think it's usually cheaper," she said. "Obviously, it would be more convenient if she could just fly out of Reno."

Piper Heath contributed to this report.