PIT Among Leading Airports in Seat Growth, Says Report

As Pittsburgh International Airport prepares to open its new terminal this fall, airline seat growth is expected to significantly increase at the airport through the end of 2025, according to the leading trade association for U.S. airlines.

In the most recent report from Airlines for America on Sept. 6, capacity offered by airlines at PIT is expected to increase 9.8 percent in the fourth quarter, placing Pittsburgh within the top 10 of over 60 major U.S. airports by scheduled seat growth. Only Nashville, Richmond, Memphis, Charleston, S.C., Anchorage, Chicago-O’Hare, West Palm Beach and Raleigh-Durham have higher seat growth than Pittsburgh during the period.

Meanwhile, U.S. airlines are scheduled to increase systemwide capacity by 3.9 percent from the previous period last year, with growth rates varying dramatically by each carrier.

Breeze Airways leads all airlines with 28.3 percent more seats scheduled year-over-year, followed by Allegiant Air with 8.1 percent growth and United Airlines with 6.9 percent more seats.

U.S. airlines overall have indicated an unclear picture throughout 2025 highlighted by economic uncertainty and overcapacity in domestic travel. Carriers have also faced challenges acquiring aircraft ranging from tariffs, supply chain shortages and seat certification delays, curtailing growth plans.

International travel, particularly to Europe, coupled with improving business travel growth and strong demand for premium cabins continue to be bright spots for the industry, which have helped ease pressures on airline revenues.

Rhett Morgan, senior director of business development for industry consulting firm Ailevon Pacific, said PIT’s nearly 10 percent projected growth is a testament to the Pittsburgh market and its good standing in spite of industry challenges.

“We still have headwinds in the industry, so airlines are always under pressure on where to deploy assets (aircraft) for the best return on margin/profitability,” Morgan said.

Fueling PIT’s growth through the end of the year are new routes added by airlines in the first half of 2025 including Allegiant to Phoenix-Sky Harbor which began in February; American Airlines to Los Angeles added in April; JetBlue Airways to New York-JFK in May; and Breeze Airways to Greenville-Spartanburg in May.

The additions have marked the latest gains from PIT’s diversified air service portfolio, a strategy the airport has pursued the last decade while transition from a connecting hub to an origin-and-destination airport focused on primarily serving the Pittsburgh market.

A diversified air service network provides robust domestic and international service on legacy, low-cost and ultra-low-cost carriers, preventing overreliance on a single airline. Under this strategy, PIT has added seven new airlines for a total of 15 and increased its nonstop destinations from 36 to 62.

“One of PITs core strengths when it comes to air travel is diversification of its demand profile,” Morgan said. “PIT has a thriving corporate economy paired with high demand for outbound leisure.”

The new routes have been able to grow PIT’s connectivity to markets throughout the country and beyond. American’s Los Angeles service, last flown by the airline in 2017, restored legacy carrier service to one of Pittsburgh’s largest West Coast markets – complementing service offered by Breeze – and has grown connections across the Pacific. JetBlue’s New York-JFK service, added by the airline following a 12-year hiatus, has added capacity to the competitive New York market, and has opened connections to dozens of unique Caribbean markets and other international destinations through JetBlue’s partners.

JetBlue’s New York-JFK service has now expanded to a second daily flight in September with an afternoon inbound and outbound flight, adding more flexibility for fliers traveling to New York City and beyond.

Breeze Airways has also extended its season on the Greenville-Spartanburg route from late August to early January, further growing Pittsburgh’s strong network of destinations in the Carolinas.

Allegiant’s service to Phoenix, which operated from February to early May, will resume Oct. 3 with twice weekly service, giving Pittsburgh three airlines with nonstop service to the Arizona capital in the fall and winter months; American and Southwest also fly the Pittsburgh-Phoenix route with daily service.

READ MORE: New Routes at PIT Expanding Service This Fall

Year-over-year gains are also contributed by Delta’s daily, year-round nonstop service to Salt Lake City resumed in November 2024 and British Airways increasing nonstop service London Heathrow to seven days a week earlier this summer, which will continue to operate daily through Oct. 30 before reverting to its four-times-a-week winter schedule.

Elsewhere, airlines have also increased existing service at PIT. American now offers increased service to Chicago-O’Hare and added a fifth daily flight to New York-LaGuardia this month. United, meanwhile, now offers three daily flights to Denver from Pittsburgh.

PIT will also welcome new service to warm weather markets prior to Christmas. American will launch seasonal, Saturday-only nonstop service to Punta Cana Dec. 6 that will operate through April 2026, supplementing the carrier’s existing seasonal, nonstop service to Cancun resuming in November. Delta, meanwhile, will begin seasonal, nonstop service to Orlando Dec. 20 that will operate daily through Christmas and on Saturdays through April 2026.