Pittsburgh International and Allegheny County Airports Named Top Industry Snow Fighters

The snow fighters at Pittsburgh International Airport and Allegheny County Airport are the best in the business – and they have the hardware to prove it.

Teams from both airports won their respective categories in the prestigious Balchen/Post Awards at the International Aviation Snow Symposium (IASS) Monday in Buffalo.

It’s the sixth win for PIT and the first win for AGC. The Balchen/Post Award is an industry-recognized annual honor presented to the top snow fighters of North American airports and military bases worldwide for outstanding performance in maintaining safe and operational runways during winter conditions.

The award is voted on by representatives of the airline industry, pilots and FAA tower personnel.

“Pittsburgh International Airport has long been recognized as a leader in winter operations. We have a large airfield with four runways, and we don’t close. In addition to keeping our arrivals and departures moving smoothly during winter weather, we are known as a key diversion destination,” said Jim Moorhead, Vice President of Airport Operations for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which manages both PIT and AGC.

“What makes it even better is that Allegheny County Airport was also recognized for its tremendous work in keeping its airfield clear, a huge benefit to the region particularly for key medical flights.”

PIT, which won in the Medium Commercial Airport category, last won the award in 2010, although it received an Honorable Mention in 2024.

This is AGC’s first award, winning in the General Aviation – Large Airport category. The airport received an Honorable Mention in 2003.

“This highly competitive award recognizes our teams’ excellence – at PIT and AGC – in snow and ice control, something that the global aviation industry relies on to keep the national airspace system moving,” Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis said. “Our teams work tirelessly with extraordinary commitment to keep flight crews and the traveling public safe. The Balchen/Post Award is another recognition of which the Pittsburgh region can be proud.”

ACAA’s dual win of the highly coveted Balchen/Post Award is also due to the investment in modern snow removal equipment over the past 10 years. This investment significantly reduced the average age of the snow removal fleet by almost half, from 27 years to 14. This positively impacted snow and ice control operations, increasing resilience and supporting the teams in doing their best work.

PIT snow fighters also assisted Erie International Airport in late November. A massive lake-effect weekend snowstorm around Thanksgiving dumped nearly 3 feet of snow on the region. A crew of five PIT snow fighters traveled 130 miles to assist Erie’s team in opening and keeping the airport open.

Always Open

This winter season, the snow fighters also extended an important streak. For almost 30 years, PIT has kept at least one runway operational during adverse weather. This is important not only for travelers utilizing PIT but also for national air travel, cargo, medical flights and military operations.

PIT is a preferred FAA diversion site when East Coast airports are impacted by major storms, offering a safe alternative for airlines to divert and reposition aircraft.

“Safety and security are always the top priority. We take great pride in keeping the airport open and safe in all types of weather, improving airline on-time rates and enhancing customer service,” Moorhead said. “It’s a matter of personal pride of what we accomplish each winter and how our industry peers view us.”

Both airports play a critical role in the region’s medical care, particularly AGC.

At AGC, between October 2024 and March 2025, the airport supported over 120 organ transplant flights, numerous medevac operations and medical diagnostic testing flights. Out of 20,419 total aircraft movements at AGC during this period, nearly 4,000 were medical-related operations (i.e., almost 20 percent of all takeoffs and landings). The airport also serves as a base for STAT Medevac – an air medical transport service that serves UPMC – underscoring its critical role in the Pittsburgh region’s public health and emergency care.

AGC is also the closest airport to the region’s Level 1 trauma centers and transplant hospitals.

Keeping AGC open can be a matter of life and death – such as in January when a snow event required the crew to work for long hours.

After the last scheduled flight departed, the team was finally able to get several hours of sleep. However, 15-20 minutes after the team went to rest, an urgent call from the FAA control tower advised crews of an unexpected incoming medical flight. The team jumped out of their beds with less than 20 minutes to clean the runway and prepare for the inbound medical flight.

The crew cleared the airfield, and the medical flight – related to organ transplants – landed safely at AGC, enabling that medical team to quickly get to a nearby hospital.

“The Balchen/Post award means a lot, all the hard work, late nights, and teamwork really paid off,” said Francie Kaye, Manager, General Aviation Operations at Allegheny County Airport. “It is our peers, tenants and medical services recognizing our commitment and professionalism. Particularly for keeping the airport open during all weather conditions to support essential and life-saving medical operations.”

The Balchen/Post Award is presented by the Northeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives (NEC/AAAE) each year at the IASS, which is held in Buffalo.

The first Balchen Award was presented at IASS in 1977, honoring airport crews for efforts during the ’76-’77 winter season. It was named after Col. Bernt Balchen, the first pilot to fly over both the South and North poles. At IASS in 1997, Wiley Post Jr.’s name was added and the award was renamed the Col. Bernt Balchen / Wiley Post Jr. Award.