Rich Fitzgerald: 10 Years of Achievements Under Christina Cassotis

Today, Jan. 15, marks the 10th anniversary of Christina Cassotis’ first day with the Allegheny County Airport Authority. I was anxious but excited to see how she would grow flights for our region, but I couldn’t have imagined all she has done over the last 10 years. But before we talk about that long list, let me tell you how we got there.

US Airways had been founded here in Pittsburgh. And in 1992, the county opened a “new” airport that was largely designed to US Airways’ specifications. Pittsburgh was the airline’s first hub. But in 2004, US Airways abandoned Pittsburgh. Its de-hubbing of the airport eliminated thousands of jobs and caused significant financial issues for the airport. In 2013, US Airways merged with American. Then in 2015, the FAA granted the two airlines the authority to operate as a single carrier. At that time, the final pieces that were still in Pittsburgh, including the flight operations center, moved to Texas.

I took office in January 2012, so it’s not surprising that “fixing the airport” was at the top of the priority list. One of the first things I did after my election was talk to the leadership at the airport authority to let them know that I wanted to make changes. We hired a search firm to identify candidates that could help us grow flights from the low of 36 nonstop destinations that we had dropped to – but couldn’t get anyone to apply because of the airport’s finances.

We had to come up with new revenues. Luckily for the county, there are 8,800 acres of land at the airport, and the value of the Marcellus Shale had just been discovered a few years earlier. The county put out an RFP inviting proposals from companies that would want to lease property at the airport to extract natural gas. After a long and involved process, the county was able to strike a deal with Consol Energy that resulted in revenues being put back into the airport. That initiative changed everything. When a second search began for a new director, there was a lot of interest.

Christina will tell you that she wasn’t interested in Pittsburgh at all. If fact, she questioned whether anyone would be, but she agreed to an interview. The search was well underway. It had attracted several high-quality candidates, including from some large airports in the United States. The committee was narrowing down its selection when the search firm contacted Dennis Davin, an authority board member, member of the search committee, and the county’s Economic Development Director, with one more option – Christina Cassotis.

When Dennis recounts the story, he says: “Christina was Christina. She was brutally honest, to the point, and told it how it is.” And that’s the same message he brought me when he asked me to meet with the finalists: “You’re not going to like what she has to say, but you should hear her out. She’s got a very different perspective and approach, which may be just what we need.”

My chief of staff, Jennifer Liptak, and I sat down with her to talk about the opportunity and what she thought our chances were of bringing back the hub. And that’s how she started: “You’re not bringing back the hub.” But she didn’t stop there. She made a case that if the authority were to strategize a different way, the airport could get what this community needed — more nonstop flights and a diversified air service portfolio.

I was impressed with her enthusiasm and knowledge, although surprised to be told that a hub was not the answer. I argued it and suggested many things in that conversation. “What about this, or that?” were frequent questions, and she responded to each of them with a convincing case as to why those ideas wouldn’t work.

It was a hard pill to swallow, but when I told her that the perfect candidate would be someone who wakes up every day thinking about how to bring more flights to Pittsburgh, her response sealed the deal: “That’s me. That’s what I do every day.” We offered her the job and in December 2014, the authority board officially voted on her contract, and we formally introduced her to Pittsburghers.

On Jan. 15, 2015, she hit the ground running and assembled a team to fulfill the vision that had been set forth. She’s done it with great success. After a decade of stemming losses, the last 10 years have seen steady growth resulting in more flights, more airlines and more passengers.

The airport now has 61 nonstop destinations. The number of domestic carrier airlines has nearly doubled to 15.  This past year, the airport finished with nearly 2 million more passengers than the airport saw in 2014. Important West Coast destinations like San Francisco and Los Angeles (including a key flight to Seattle when this region was in the running for Amazon HQ2) have been added. Her work and that of her team has also led to critical international service on British Airways to London and Icelandair to Reykjavik.

Working with the airlines, Christina took a close look at the existing airport and evaluated what needed to be fixed, improved, or replaced because of aging infrastructure and changing needs of the aviation industry and our market. After evaluating numerous options, the collective decision was to undertake a terminal modernization that is creating a new front door for Pittsburgh and an airport of the future.

This airport is being built for Pittsburghers, by Pittsburghers. Local workers are building the terminal, and more than 85 percent of materials are locally sourced. The project has added an estimated 14,300 direct and indirect jobs in the region. And it has generated an estimated $2.5 billion – with a “B” – in economic activity, with no state or local tax dollars used. When complete, the new facility will modernize the experience for the passenger as well as improve technology, increase efficiency and sustainability, and reduce maintenance costs, which is good for the bottom line.

Just as noteworthy, Christina’s idea for the PIT2Work training collaborative was groundbreaking. The program recently celebrated a year’s worth of on-site training and jobs, working particularly with those individuals who have not had access to opportunities such as these in the past. With the help of partners including Partner4Work and the Builders Guild, the program has become a national model, been lauded by the federal government, and continues to change lives daily.

And recognizing that a workforce has other challenges than just opportunity, she worked with the Pittsburgh Regional Transit to coordinate and improve bus access to the airport. ACAA introduced on-site childcare center facilities, a unique amenity among airports and, again, one recognized by the federal government. With these actions, and others, Christina and her team have demonstrated a genuine commitment to workforce well-being and support.

In addition to the focus on people and prosperity, Christina and her team have also thought about the planet. Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) was the first major airport in the world to create a microgrid to completely power the airport using on-site natural gas and nearly 10,000 solar panels. The solar farm was built atop a closed landfill – land that would otherwise not have been suitable for development. That undertaking has boosted resiliency by moving the traditional energy grid to a back-up. It has reduced carbon emissions by more than 6 million pounds and saved more than $1 million in utility costs annually. The on-site apiary is also home to millions of honeybees that are helping to repopulate the critical insects, and they make some pretty tasty honey too. The microgrid, and the focus on sustainability, has been a game changer for the airport.

When I was in office, my administration relied heavily on partnerships and working with others to move the county forward, and it’s the same blueprint that we suggested with the airport. Before Christina was hired, she met with key business and community stakeholders to hear from them about their priorities, but to also make the case that Pittsburgh could be a strong origin and destination airport. It wasn’t an easy sell with them either, but those relationships evolved into long-standing partnerships that continue to support and drive the work at the airport.

With the support and interest of the leaders at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, the authority launched Neighborhood 91, an additive manufacturing campus where everything a company may need is self-contained on the campus. After discussions with CMU President Farnam Jahanian, PIT leveraged the region’s tech economy to utilize the terminal for research and development with its xBridge Innovation Center. The initiative allows for the testing, and potential adoption, of groundbreaking solutions tailored for modern and future airport needs. Local and national tech companies have used PIT as a laboratory of sorts.

Groundbreaking at the time, technology algorithms using machine learning allowed PIT to have screens telling travelers how long it would take them to get through TSA. It’s a measure still in place today that gives travelers some comfort to know that they have time to get through security lines and make their flights. Another product tested at the airport was Carnegie Robotics’ UV autonomous floor scrubbers, which are in use at the airport today.

Over the last 10 years, there have been so many other accomplishments and wins that it’s hard to list them all here. Some of them are small in the grand scheme of things (scoring a Starbucks at the airport, opening a Primanti’s, adding Nellie Bly to the historical figures welcoming visitors and travelers to the airport) while others have been big (launching Blue Sky News, allowing Lyft and Uber to provide services to travelers, opening Presley’s Place, welcoming Amazon Air cargo, and giving Allegheny County Airport some love too).

This work has moved Pittsburgh International to a global stage – and Pittsburgh is absolutely on their map. In 2017, PIT was named Air Transport World’s Airport of the Year – the first American airport to be honored as such. And then they followed that up last year by being named to the inaugural 2024 Air Transport World Hall of Fame, the only airport on the list at all.

When I was County Executive, Christina and I would get together in person once a month to get caught up (or more if you count the events we were at together, or phone calls to share something that was happening or to get input). Having an open line of communication helped me support the work that she was doing. When she needed it, I was able to make connections for her and the airport, lend my voice and that of the government to pitches and efforts, and bring attention to the needs that we had in a way that was productive and successful. Today, she’s the one making connections and lending her voice to bring attention to the needs of this region.

Over the last year, County Executive Sara Innamorato has also seen that Christina and the team that she has built around her are invested in Pittsburgh, its workers and businesses. Because of the authority’s commitment, the County Executive can be proud of the work that is happening at our airport because it is a jewel of our community. I look forward to all of the successes that County Executive Innamorato and her administration will be able to tout in the coming years, including the opening of a “new” new airport later this year.

While today marks 10 years, I can say with certainty that there’s no way that Christina is stopping there. Pittsburgh International Airport has witnessed a renaissance in its infrastructure, services, and community engagement over the last 10 years that will only continue to grow. Focusing on passenger-centric services, innovation, and regional partnerships while also strengthening local ties, ensures that the Airport Authority stays on course and continues to be an airport for Pittsburghers, no matter where in the region they call home.

Christina, we are fortunate that you said yes to Pittsburgh. From day one, it was clear that you knew the industry and how to make the Airport Authority successful. Your confidence in yourself and what you could accomplish for our region has led to these successes.

Thank you for allowing us to be part of your story.

Happy 10th anniversary.

Rich Fitzgerald served as Allegheny County Executive from 2012 to 2023 and is now Executive Director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.