British Airways CEO Praises Pittsburgh’s Spirit of Innovation

As innovation leaders gathered in Pittsburgh from around the world, a recurring message emerged that embracing innovation not only builds in resiliency for the future, it also yields tangible results in the near term.

At Tuesday’s kickoff of the World Innovation Summit at Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal, Sean Doyle, CEO and chairman of British Airways, outlined how the company’s record 7-billion-pound ($9.3 billion) investment in modernization that began in 2023 already is paying off.

In the opening keynote conversation with PIT CEO Christina Cassotis, Doyle said that the airline invested 100 million pounds ($133 million) on improving operational resilience, which resulted in a record 86 percent of its flights departing on time from its London Heathrow base in the first quarter of 2025.

“The bedrock of any airline is being punctual,” said Doyle, who also sits on the management committee of British Airways’ parent company, International Airlines Group.

Cassotis asked about the impact of the company’s announcement on May 9 that it had ordered 71 long-haul aircraft from Airbus and Boeing: 32 Boeing 787-10 aircraft, 21 Airbus A330-900neo aircraft, six Airbus A350-900s, six Airbus A350-1000s and six Boeing 777-9s.

Doyle said it marks a significant investment in the airline’s future, which he expects will enable British Airways to fly to more places in the U.S. directly and expand its routes to Asia.

He also affirmed the company’s commitment to energy resilience and diversity, noting that

SAF provided 2 percent of the airline’s fuel last year, with a target of 10 percent by 2030.

When Cassotis noted that Pittsburgh International Airport, which has a world-recognized microgrid, is working toward producing SAF onsite, Doyle replied: “The scale at which you could produce it is very exciting. I’d encourage you to go full speed ahead.”

“The great thing about coming out to Pittsburgh is seeing the can-do attitude,” he added.

That attitude also gave birth to the World Innovation Summit, which traces its roots to 2023 when Cassotis developed the idea of an aviation and robotics event in Pittsburgh.

Daniel Coleman, CEO and founder of Future Travel Experience, the organizer of the event in partnership with PIT, said that one of the goals of the three-day summit is to foster that innovation mindset.

“Pittsburgh has earned a reputation as one of the most progressive and collaborative airports globally,” Coleman said. “This summit represents the people and organizations driving real change across this sector. I’d argue that this is the largest gathering of global innovators ever assembled.”

Cassotis encouraged the attendees to embrace what she calls the Art of Assembly – making new connections, building relationships, and collaborating on putting things together in different ways for better results.

“I really look forward to what all of that means for all of us as we keep driving this industry forward,” she said.

The summit kickoff is the first time an event has been held in the new terminal, which opens later this year. Earlier on Tuesday, conference participants from 28 countries were invited to join one of three specialized tours of the new facility led by PIT experts in Design, Construction and Sustainability; Technology and Operations; and Service Design and Commercial.

“This airport here, this is like walking into somewhere in the Gulf, whether it’s Abu Dhabi or Doha or Dubai,” Doyle said. “It’s a vision of the future. But it’s also a lovely expression of the heritage of Pennsylvania, and I think it’s amazing what’s happening here. I’d be very confident of all that you’re enabling.”

The summit also includes an interdisciplinary series of conference sessions, workshops, innovation tours, pitch sessions, and networking opportunities centered at Carnegie Mellon University, a world leader in robotics, AI and engineering.

The agenda includes sessions focusing on three core subjects: Advanced Technology, Energy and Sustainability, and Future Airports.

Tuesday also included demonstrations by Pittsburgh-based Journey Robotics, which is developing a robotic baggage handling system as part of PIT’s xBridge innovation program.

“I think just hearing about the innovation and the reinvention of Pittsburgh is that there is a huge amount to be proud of. I don’t think we hear enough about it. We hear about Silicon Valley, but what is going on here is a bit of magic,” Doyle said.