Formerly called Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport is a joint civil-military airport located in Findlay Township and Moon Township, Pennsylvania, approximately 10 miles west of the city center. It is the primary air hub for the Greater Pittsburgh Region and the adjacent parts of West Virginia and Ohio. The airport is managed by the Allegheny County Airport Authority and provides commercial flights to many places around North America and Europe. With four runways and an area of 10,000 acres, the airport opened in 1952 and was initially served by five air carriers. It was also a minor hub for Trans World Airlines for more than two decades.
A multi-billion-dollar remodel and extension was carried out in 1992; it was designed largely in accordance with US Airways’ requirements, and it was described as “the airport of the future” by the New York Times. It featured modern features such as an X-shape to decrease the distance between gates, an underground tram to transport passengers, and an array of shopping options, all of which were groundbreaking at the time. The airport experienced its peak in traffic during the late 1990s with 20 million passengers, and US Air’s maximum of 542 flights and 11,995 workers in 2001. Nonetheless, US Airways’ financial status was severely damaged due to the decrease in air travel after the terrorist attacks of September 11. The company declared bankruptcy twice and abandoned Pittsburgh as a hub in 2004, leading to the loss of thousands of jobs and almost bankrupting the airport itself, which was mainly designed to meet US Airways’ requirements.
The 2000s saw a resurgence in Pittsburgh airport activity, with the number of air carriers increasing to 16 as the Allegheny County Airport Authority actively pursued airlines and lobbied for fresh passenger routes. Southwest Airlines has risen its presence at the airport in recent years, surpassing American Airlines (which US Airways acquired and combined with) as the biggest carrier in terms of passengers. The airport is also a hub for regional carrier Southern Airways Express. Furthermore, cargo operations have increased in recent years. In 2017, the airport became the first in the nation to reopen access to the post-security terminal for people who are not flying, provided they can go through security, after the federal government lifted the restrictions imposed after 9/11. In 2021, the airport became the first in the world to have its own microgrid, which offers power to the entire airport through natural gas and solar energy.
Currently, the airport is undergoing a $1.39 billion renovation that will include the construction of a new terminal for the check-in, security, and baggage claim areas adjacent to the gates. This will eliminate the need for the tram and increase the number of parking spaces. Officials stressed that the renovation will make the airport more suited to Pittsburgh, instead of US Airways. The project, which was first announced in 2017 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resumed in 2021 and is expected to be completed in 2025, without using any local tax dollars and with the airlines paying most of the costs.
History of the Pittsburgh International Airport
Prior to the commence of WW2, Moon Township was generally a rural, agricultural area. It was not in close proximity to downtown Pittsburgh, and so was only serviced by Pittsburgh-based state and federal services and media. In the early 1920s, John A. Bell of Carnegie purchased multiple small farms in Moon and established a commercial dairy farm on his 1,900 acres of land. Ultimately, he was bought out by E.E. Rieck and C.F. Nettrour, owners of the Rieck’s Dairy, who increased the number of cattle on the farm. In 1940, the federal government, through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), determined that the Pittsburgh area needed a military airport for defense and as a training base and stop-over facility. To this end, the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt invested in infrastructure across the country before the US entered WW2. The agricultural expanses of Moon Township were chosen for the airport. The county bought the Bell Farm and federal agencies began constructing the runways in April 1942. In 1944, Allegheny County officials proposed expanding the airport with a commercial passenger terminal to replace the outdated Allegheny County Airport. Ground was broken on the new passenger terminal on 18 July 1946 and it eventually cost $33 million. The airport, initially christened as Greater Pittsburgh Airport and later renamed as Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, opened on 31 May 1952 and the first flight was on 3 June 1952. During its first full year of operation in 1953, the terminal was visited by more than 1.4 million passengers. It was considered modern and spacious, and was the largest in the US, second only to Idlewild Airport (now JFK Airport) in NY. The airport terminal was designed by local architect Joseph W. Hoover and the interior was built in the contemporary International Style. It featured observation decks, the rounded ‘Horizon Room’ with a view of the airport, and a mobile by Alexander Calder in the lobby.
The Pittsburgh International Airport Growth
At the Greater Pittsburgh Airport in the 1950s, the first five airlines were TWA, Capital (later part of United), Northwest, All American (later Allegheny Airlines, USAir, and US Airways), and Eastern. In April 1957, the Airline Guide showed 58 weekday departures on Capital, 54 TWA, 18 Allegheny, 8 United, 7 Eastern, 4 Northwest, 3 American, and 2 Lake Central. TWA’s 707s were the first jets to serve Pittsburgh with a Los Angeles-Chicago-Pittsburgh loop in summer 1959, and the east dock was added to the terminal. On July 1, 1968, the airport achieved international status with the opening of its first customs office. The International Wing was built in 1970 and opened two years later to accommodate federal inspection services and Nordair 737s to Canada. With the growth of regional air travel, the terminal had to expand, so the South East Dock opened in 1980. TWA operated a small hub at Pittsburgh from the ’60s to ’85, and British Airways started a Boeing 747 service to London via Washington, D.C. in 1985. USAir funded the billion-dollar expansion in 1987 and inaugurated a link to Frankfurt, signifying the return of nonstop transatlantic flights. The new terminal, which opened in 1992, featured an AirMall and underground tram. By 1997, the airport handled over 21 million passengers, a record. In 2001, the airport had its busiest month, but the September 11 attacks caused US Air to file for bankruptcy in 2002. US Air slashed jobs and canceled its leases in 2003 and 2004, while reducing operations at Pittsburgh and ceasing flights to Europe. The airline closed the Concourse E on the Landside Terminal and a portion of Concourse A on the Airside Terminal by the end of the decade. US Air chose Pittsburgh in 2008 for its systemwide Flight Operations Control Center, but it was closed in 2015 with the merger of US Air and American Airlines. The center was later reconstructed as a 9-1-1 center for Allegheny County and opened in 2019.
Since the close of US Airways’ hub at the Pittsburgh airport, a number of low cost carriers have come to the market, providing more choices for passengers in the area. Allegiant Air started service in 2015, with Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines both beginning service in 2016 and 2017 respectively. In 2019, Alaska Airlines began a route to Seattle/Tacoma, and Breeze Airways expanded to 10 destinations in 2021. In September 2017, Pittsburgh Airport was the first in the nation since 9/11 to allow non-flyers to go through security and visit the Air mall post-security. The airport also utilized Credential Authentication Technology in 2017 to phase out the need for boarding passes at TSA checkpoints. In recognition of its efforts, Pittsburgh Airport was awarded Airport of the Year by Air Transport World in 2017. In the winter of 2020-2021, British Airways and Condor both stopped their flights to Pittsburgh, and the airport lacked a direct connection to Europe. Fortunately, British Airways resumed its flight to Heathrow in June 2022.
The Future of the Pittsburgh International Airport
In September 2017, the Airport Authority of Allegheny County revealed a $1.1 billion strategy to revamp and restructure the terminal complex, which included a new landside terminal and a parking garage. Under the proposal, the existing landside building would be demolished if a different use was not found and the amount of gates would be limited from 75 to 51. A fresh landside structure would be constructed between concourses C and D of the airside terminal, with fresh security and baggage facilities, an international arrivals area, and a lot of other features for passengers. The Chairman of the Airport Authority, David Minnotte, declared that the people of Pittsburgh “finally get an airport built for them and not USAir”. The new facility would not be funded with taxpayer dollars, instead, revenue from natural gas drilling on airport property and other sources, such as passenger facility charges and grants, would finance the construction via floating bonds. The beginning of construction was initially planned for summer 2020, with the new terminal planned to open in 2023. However, in April 2020 officials resolved to hold off on the sale of bonds and commencement of construction due to the coronavirus outbreak. In February 2021, authorities declared that early site and construction work would start in the spring with a bigger budget of $1.39 billion. The airlines serving the airport accepted to fund $182 million in construction site preparation work for the project. Construction ultimately began in July 2021 and the project is projected to be finished in 2025.
Directions to the Pittsburgh International Airport
About a half-hour northwest of downtown Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is situated in the vicinity of Coraopolis, Moon, Findlay, Imperial, and Independence. Easily accessible from numerous highways and interstates, the US-60 (Beaver Valley Expressway) heads north towards Elwood City and New Castle, the US-22 (William Penn Highway) travels west and passes through Steubenville and Bloomingdale, and the I-79 (Raymond P. Shafer Highway) leads south to Canonsburg, Washington, and beyond. Nearby landmarks include the Pennsylvania Air National Guard southeast, Airside Business Park and Montour Heights Country Club to the east, and Robert Morris University to the north. Additionally, Allegheny County settlers Cabin Park is nearby to the south, adjacent to Robinson and North Fayette.
Directions to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) from the city center:
- Travel along the I-279 interstate, continue and join the US-22 / 30
- Continue along this road, join the US-60 (Orange Belt) and then exit at Junction 6
Directions to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) from the north
- Travel along the I-279 interstate in a southerly direction
- Continue along this road and then exit at Junction 60B
- Join the US-60 (Beaver Valley Expressway) in a northerly direction and then exit at Junction 6
Directions to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) from the north:
- Head north along the I-79 interstate
- Leave at exit 59B and follow the signposts along the Toll US-60 highway, taking exit 6
Directions to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) from the west:
- Head east along the I-80 interstate in an eastern direction
- Follow the signs for the I-76 interstate (Pennsylvania Turnpike)
- Leave at exit 1A / 11 and head towards the Toll US-60 highway, taking exit 6
Directions to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) from the east:
- Head west along the I-376 interstate
- Following the US-376 highway towards the Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnel (signposted)
- Head towards the Toll US-60 north, leaving at exit 6
Parking at the Pittsburgh Airport
The Pittsburgh International Airport provides convenient parking options for travelers with four surface parking lots and a parking garage. All of these parking lots are located at a short walking distance from the landside terminal. You can find detals on the parking at the Pittsburgh International Airport right here.
