Brightest Points of a Challenging Year

On Election Day, let’s celebrate what keeps America moving forward

By Bob Kerlik

Published November 2, 2020

Read Time: 3 mins

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Let’s face it—2020 has been a challenging year.

And for the aviation industry, that’s a considerable understatement.

In March, COVID-19 brought our industry unprecedented crisis, and recovery has been slow and uneven. We still have a long way to go.

And yet, in the midst of this crisis, the people who operate our airports and airlines have never stopped working, through teamwork and innovation, to ensure that the traveling public and our partners are safe, secure and confident.

We have already seen the fruits of these efforts in our growing air cargo business, which has seen new flights from Hong Kong and Seoul arrive even as the pandemic drastically reduced commercial passenger traffic.

This will take time, but people will fly again. And when they do, this airport and our team will be here to greet them.

As Americans head to the polls, we invite you to look back at some of the stories that demonstrate the strength and resilience of the airport industry and herald a brighter, safer future in the skies.

Thanks for reading.

 

-Bob Kerlik, Executive Editor, Blue Sky News


 

1) Fortune 500 Co. Announces Plans Anchor Additive Manufacturing at PIT. Wabtec will be the first manufacturing tenant at PIT’s Neighborhood 91.


2) Natural Gas and Solar to Power First-of-its-Kind Airport Microgrid. Crews broke ground on a microgrid that will be the first in the country to completely power an airport – using airport natural gas and solar.


3) PIT Lands Its First Hong Kong Cargo Flight (and it’s a 777-300) Even as passenger service has plummeted, cargo service continues to grow.


4) Nearly 100 Parked Planes Stacked Up at PIT in the pandemic’s earlier days. PIT partnered with American Airlines and other carriers to offer space for their fleets as passenger demand plummeted. That included turning our center runway into a parking lot before demand picked up.


5) From Airport Parking Lots to Food Distribution Center. The airport capitalized on its less-than-full parking lots by partnering with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to serve thousands.

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