FAA Scores Big at the Super Bowl
Learn how the FAA handled a record number operations at Las Vegas airports.
By Jim Tise, FAA
The FAA playbook for Super Bowl LVIII proved to be a winner as near-record air traffic flowed smoothly into and out of Las Vegas around this year’s event.
The FAA’s Los Angeles Air Route Air Traffic Control Center handled the bulk of air traffic, recording more than 8,100 operations on the Monday following the game — the second-highest daily total in 25 years and more than 1,000 above the Center’s average daily volume, said Kevin Schlieper, the facility’s traffic management officer.
But Schlieper stressed that numerous FAA facilities and offices contributed to the success. And the FAA’s airline and business jet customers recognized and appreciated the agency’s work.
“The demand was especially high for non-scheduled business aircraft, and the FAA is to be commended for generating and effectively executing a plan to manage this demand,” said an official from Airlines for America, the trade association that represents major North American airlines. “It was accomplished with minimal impact on scheduled operations.”
The FAA’s approach to managing traffic for the Super Bowl was reminiscent of any great football team in that it was a carefully choreographed, total team effort built on meticulous planning. The agency’s Collaborative Working Group (CWG) began planning for this year’s event in March 2023. When traffic was flowing in and out of the area for the game, close support came from the Oakland, Salt Lake City, Denver and Albuquerque Centers; the Harry Reid International, Henderson Executive and North Las Vegas airport towers; the Las Vegas Terminal Radar Approach Control; Nellis Air Force Base; and the CWG.
“It takes a ton of people a ton of time and effort to execute a successful Super Bowl plan,” said Tom Morgan, an FAA deputy director for system operations. “It is this cooperative effort that made it so successful.”
The biggest challenge to keeping air traffic flowing smoothly was parking for the approximately 1,300 additional general aviation aircraft the FAA expected would descend on the area for the game. Only 450–500 parking spaces were available. So, the FAA huddled with the NFL to assign hourly arrival and departure slots to ensure the additional aircraft didn’t interfere with regular airline traffic.
Key to the planning success was transparency and bringing all the different stakeholders involved to the table early , said Randy Vincent, a senior advisor with the FAA’s National Airspace Operations System Operations security team.
“You need to start looking at methods to operate the volume of flights, procedural changes and automation changes,” Vincent said.
The FAA’s Technical Operations office also issued a moratorium on routine maintenance of navigational and communications equipment until Super Bowl traffic had cleared out of the area. But like any good team manager, the FAA was flexible enough to call an audible to fix a ground surveillance radar at Harry Reid International Airport as game day approached before it could cause any major delays.
Also working behind the scenes was the agency’s air traffic security office, which established a 30-mile temporary flight restriction (TFR) — including a 10-mile no-fly zone — around Allegiant Stadium. They also coordinated with federal and local law enforcement, as well as with the North American Air Defense organization, to integrate air defense aircraft within the TFR’s airspace.
With decades of air traffic control and pilot experience behind them, Michael Hamann and Greg Bean were in a perfect position to lead the FAA’s security team and balance the needs of law enforcement with the need to keep air traffic flowing.
“A lot of it is the relationships we build with people and facilities and the trust we build because of our air traffic background,” said Hamann.
The agency blitzed the public with ads warning against illegal use of drones over and near the stadium, notices to pilots about the TFR around the stadium, and “From the Flight Deck” videos that provide general aviation pilots with actual runway approach and airport taxiway footage — combined with diagrams and visual graphics — to identify hot spots and other safety-sensitive items.
“In the past we’ve done [a lot messaging], but not to the extent we did it this year,” said Bean. The early-and-often approach to messaging helped cut TFR violations in half from last year, he noted.
While the Kansas City Chiefs celebrate their victory, the FAA is already preparing for next year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans. Air traffic and law enforcement officials from the Big Easy were on-site during this year’s game to absorb the winning game plan that the FAA has honed over decades.
