Customer Care: Licorice the Lizard Safely Returned
Customer service is a key tenant of PIT’s passenger experience as team saves family vacation
By Daniel Lagiovane
Published February 13, 2026
Read Time: 2 mins
It was a rescue and recovery operation with the highest stakes. Licorice, the toy lizard, had to be saved, and time was of the essence.
A family recently came to explore the newly completed Kids Play Area at Pittsburgh International Airport because their flight was delayed. The parents wanted their children to burn off some energy and prevent boredom as they waited for their flight.
Things were going great. There was running. There was laughing. Then their son, Leroy, wanted to see if Licorice could fly.
Spoiler alert – he couldn’t.
After an ill-advised toss, Licorice was stuck in the ceiling.
Panicking, the mother quickly went to the information desk to get help. After all, Licorice was more than a toy to Leroy. It was a constant companion. He went everywhere with him, even bathing and sleeping with him. They were inseparable.
Fortunately, PIT’s Customer Service team knows how to handle unique situations like this.
“The mother approached me,” said Ava Basalyga, Customer Service Representative. “She said you probably never had to deal with something like this.”
She went on to explain how Licorice disappeared into the ceiling and how upset her son was, Basalyga said.
Basalyga knew who to call. She immediately reached Amy Kirsch, Maintenance Supervisor, who happened to be in the area. She knew two electricians were close by and contacted Dave Pradetto and Rick Koenig.
Within minutes after Licorice’s ill-fated flight, they arrived at the Kids Play Area with a ladder and quickly found Licorice on a ceiling light fixture.
ACAA electricians used a ladder to retrieve Licorice the Lizard from a ceiling light fixture inside PIT’s new Kids Play Area. (ACAA photo)
Cheers followed. Licorice was returned to his very relieved owner, none the worse for wear, though Leroy learned a valuable lesson about gravity.
The family came by the information desk to thank the PIT team once again on their way to the gate. Basalyga gave Leroy a toy airplane and a fidget spinner for his sister.
“Hold on to this airplane so your lizard can remain safely tucked in your mom’s bag till you get home,” Basalyga instructed him as Leroy waved goodbye, clutching his airplane.
Enhancing the customer experience is part of the job for airport staff – and helping reunite travelers with lost items.
In 2025, the airport team reunited a woman and her lost diamond from her engagement ring, a beloved stuffed bunny with a small girl, and a lost dog who escaped on airport property.
“It doesn’t matter, adult or child, a laptop or toy, everything is important,” Basalyga said. “We do everything we can to reunite an item with its owner.
“Many times, it takes people from several departments, like with Licorice. The great thing about the [Allegheny County Airport Authority] is that we are a team. Everyone is committed to helping make the passenger experience the best.”
