Transformed Pittsburgh International Airport Meets the Needs of Today and the Future

Pittsburgh International Airport’s New Terminal Opened on 18th November. Image PIT/Tom O’Connor

When the first passengers journeyed through the new terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) on Nov. 18, it marked the culmination of more than a decade of work to transform the airport for today and the future.

The evolution began when Christina Cassotis became CEO of the Allegheny County Airport Authority (ACAA) in 2015 and emphasized PIT’s role as a growing origin-and-destination airport dedicated to serving Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh-based travelers were not the focus when the airport opened on Oct. 1, 1992, as a US Airways hub. It lacked many of the features the new front door to the region features, such as universal design and wayfinding, and enhanced dining and shopping options.

When 80 percent of the airport traffic was hub passengers, those 15 million to 16 million travelers arrived at the airside terminal and stayed there before taking a connecting flight to their final destinations.

Secondary consideration was given to the approximately 4 million origination-and-destination passengers who used the security checkpoints and traveled the half-mile distance between the two terminals on the people mover trains while their bags traversed about 8 miles.

By closing the half-mile gap between terminals, the ACAA estimates that combined, airlines operating at PIT will save more than $20 million annually in operational and maintenance costs.

Today, Pittsburgh is the starting point (origin) and/or the ending point (destination) of 98 percent of passengers at the airport, according to 2024 figures. That means approximately 9.95 million passengers in 2024 were using an outdated system.

Eliminating the distance between the two terminals and focusing on Pittsburgh passengers will not only increase efficiency and convenience, it also will address the airport’s transformation to an O&D airport and help set its course for success for years to come.

Take a look at the improvements here: https://blueskypit.com/transformed-pit-meets-the-needs-of-today-and-the-future/