Celebrating Five Years of Life-Changing Service at Presley’s Place

Jason Rudge is a heavy equipment operator at Pittsburgh International Airport – a longtime team member who helps ensure day-to-day safety operations at the airport.

He’s also the person who sparked an idea that has made travel easier for hundreds of families.

Rudge’s son Presley, whom Rudge calls his best friend, has autism. Because airports can be overstimulating environments, Rudge assumed he and his now 9-year-old son would never be able to fly out of PIT together – until he started thinking about how Pittsburgh’s airport might help travelers like Presley in an innovative way.

Rudge dropped a letter to PIT CEO Christina Cassotis into a CEO suggestion box with the idea to build a sensory room at the airport, and Cassotis heard him. Two years later in 2019, the space officially opened its doors and was named for the person who inspired it: Presley’s Place.

Presley’s Place is a sensory room designed for travelers with autism or sensory sensitivities to de-escalate and escape the busy airport environment. The space features comfortable seating, adjustable lighting and a realistic aircraft cabin exper