Airlines Confidential: Christina Cassotis, Scott McCartney Examine High Fuel Costs, Airport Investment
PIT CEO discusses market pressures, infrastructure oversight and the need for increased airport funding nationwide
By Blue Sky Staff
Published October 26, 2026
Read Time: < 1 min
Editor’s Note: Former Wall Street Journal Travel Editor and “Middle Seat” columnist Scott McCartney hosts the weekly podcast “Airlines Confidential,” the leading podcast reaching travel industry insiders, frequent flyers and AvGeeks. Pittsburgh International Airport CEO Christina Cassotis is a frequent guest co-host with McCartney.
Pittsburgh International Airport CEO Christina Cassotis joined Scott McCartney as co-host of the Oct. 21 episode of Airlines Confidential to discuss rising fuel costs and softer travel demand, which are pressuring airline stocks and prompting carriers to cut schedules and routes.
Cassotis and McCartney also discussed Southwest Airlines’ evolving strategy, including its newly announced loyalty tiers, Starlink Wi-Fi and plans to add in-seat power across its fleet, following the airline’s announcement of new lounges.
In addition, Cassotis emphasized the importance of strong oversight in major airport construction projects, highlighting the value of owner representation, early reporting of potential issues and rigorous reviews of change orders to help manage costs and project delivery.
She also voiced support for modernizing the passenger facility charge, a fee collected by U.S. airports to fund Federal Aviation Administration-approved capital projects. The fee has remained unchanged for 26 years, limiting airports’ ability to keep pace with rising construction costs and infrastructure needs.
Listen to the episode on AirlinesConfidential.com or your favorite podcast streaming app.
