PIT’s Transformation Featured at Passenger Terminal Expo & Conference

Innovation drives change at the Allegheny County Airport Authority (ACAA), which is transforming Pittsburgh International Airport to reflect the spirit and history of the Pittsburgh community.

That was the message ACAA CEO Christina Cassotis and Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer Paul Hoback shared at a presentation at the Passenger Terminal Expo & Conference held in Madrid, Spain, April 8-10.

They were selected by the conference to discuss how the transformation at PIT has been approached differently from the start, driven by a core commitment to innovation.

“We think of innovation in terms of workforce, energy, accessibility; in terms of construction, in terms of how we work, culture and everything we do,” Cassotis said. “We have all the right ingredients — we have a city and a community that has been innovating since its founding, we have an airport and a team that has been dogged about pushing the industry forward, using the assets of our community.”

The presentation, titled “Disrupting Airport Design Philosophy at the New PIT,” provided conference attendees with insights into the innovative process by which the design and construction team was selected.

“We wanted to make sure that what we built was going to work for the people who work at the airport, travel through the airport, partner with the airport,” said Cassotis.

PIT CEO Christina Cassotis gives a presentation to audience members at the Passenger Terminal Expo & Conference in Madrid, Spain, held from April 8-10, 2025. (Photo by Christina Paonessa)

ACAA leadership emphasized the importance of having the transformation team share the Authority’s vision to redefine not just PIT’s structures, but the role of the airport in the Western Pennsylvania region, aviation industry and world.

The presentation also offered details on how ACAA expanded its impact by leveraging the construction project as an opportunity to develop the region’s workforce through award-winning initiatives such providing on-site childcare for team members and the PIT2Work pre-apprenticeship training program.

Moreover, the transformation project — built for the Pittsburgh community, by the Pittsburgh community — has generated approximately 14,300 local jobs, created a $2.5 billion economic impact and sourced around 90 percent of construction materials and personnel regionally, all without the use of local or state tax dollars.

Audience members were given a detailed look at how the transformed PIT has been designed to embody a distinct sense of Pittsburgh through visual, experiential and functional components.

“We wanted to make sure we reflected Pittsburgh in the design of the transformed PIT,” Hoback said.

Design elements such as the terminal’s constellation lighting, tree columns, connector bridge, and abundant natural light connect travelers more closely with the Pittsburgh region.

Local artists and craftspeople have been engaged to add depth and perspective to the airport experience, which is further enhanced by concessions that have been curated to add local flavor and national favorites.

“That is truly what we set out to do at the beginning of this project,” said Hoback, “making sure we took the time to plan, elevating the airport experience for all.”