PIT CEO: It’s Time to Have Pittsburgh’s Airport Designed for Us

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in the Pittsburgh Business Times.

Almost every time I speak publicly in the Pittsburgh region about what we’re doing at Pittsburgh International Airport, I get asked, “Why are you building a new terminal?”

The short answer is because it’s time for Pittsburgh to have Pittsburgh’s airport designed for the great city and region we serve – with a design that welcomes all and makes clear what we’re all about.

That welcome goes beyond business travelers and tourists coming here. It’s for our people who deserve more than 1,000 covered parking spots in the middle of the Snow Belt, who pick up and drop off friends and family, a uniquely “Pittsburgh” practice.

Today, the industry is very different from what it was in 1992 when the airport opened. Airline business models, passenger expectations and airline consolidation and technology have all changed the way we travel. Our airport infrastructure needs to change, too.

The post-security area of our airport is brilliant. The X-design of the gates area has withstood the test of time and is being copied around the world. With some aesthetic upgrades, we are excited for what it will do for passengers and partners.

The landside terminal, where you check in, go through security and drop off/pick up baggage, needs to change. It was built before TSA existed and for an airline that no longer exists. We have an outdated baggage system that includes a lengthy eight miles of baggage belt. We have an international arrivals process that is badly in need of a redesign. We have conveyances like escalators and elevators in a four-story building that are 30 years old in need of replacement and trains that cost millions annually to maintain. Functionally, it no longer makes sense.

Five years ago, we went through a rigorous process of selecting the architects and engineers for this work. We hired teams we knew would be great partners and work with us to create a custom-Pittsburgh design for the new terminal. To ensure the essence of Pittsburgh informed the final design, we put together an intense, four-day immersive experience for our design and engineering partners to learn, first-hand, what this community is all about.

And that’s how NaTeCo was developed. Standing for Nature, Technology, Community, it is a PIT-specific conce