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Pittsburgh International Airport
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Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil-military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of downtown Pittsburgh at Exit 6 of PA-60 (Future I-376) and the Northern Terminus of PA Turnpike 576 (Future I-576). It is owned and operated by the Allegheny County Airport Authority which also operates the Allegheny County Airport.
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Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil-military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of downtown Pittsburgh at Exit 6 of PA-60 (Future I-376) and the Northern Terminus of PA Turnpike 576 (Future I-576). It is owned and operated by the Allegheny County Airport Authority which also operates the Allegheny County Airport. PIT is primarily a passenger airport serving the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, providing 186 non-stop flights per day to 49 destinations via 28 airlines. It also serves as the home of Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station, a combined facility of the Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard, providing aerial refueling, air mobility and tactical airlift support to the U.S. Air Force and other U.S. Department of Defense activities. Finally, the airport also has a robust air cargo facility and supports extensive general aviation operations.
Pittsburgh International is the second busiest passenger airport in Pennsylvania and 45th busiest in the United States, serving 9,822,588 passengers in 2007 on 209,303 aircraft operations. Until 2004, US Airways operated its largest hub at Pittsburgh International. As of 2007, the airline remains PIT's largest carrier (handling 39 percent of passengers). Southwest Airlines began service at the airport in May 2005 and is now the second largest airline in Pittsburgh with nonstop service to 7 destinations and more than 20 daily flights. The airport offers service to the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Mainline passenger aircraft that regularly visit the airport include the Boeing 717, Boeing 737, and Boeing 757, along with the Airbus A319, Airbus A320, and Airbus A321, as well as the Douglas DC-9 and MD80. Widebody passenger aircraft have not served the airport regularly since US Airways ended its transatlantic Boeing 767 and Airbus A330 service to Frankfurt, London, and Paris, and no Boeing 747's since British Airways ended service in the late 90's. Non-stop transatlantic service to Europe is scheduled to begin again on June 3, 2009 when Delta Air Lines begins flights to Paris' Charles de Gaulle International Airport.
Pittsburgh International Airport occupies more than 12,900 acres (45 km˛), making it the fourth largest airport in the nation, behind Denver International Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Orlando International Airport. It is so large that both Chicago's O'Hare and Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson could comfortably fit within the airport's land area.
PIT has been frequently recognized for its quality in meeting travelers' needs. The OAG Worldwide listed the facility to its short list of the world's best airports for four consecutive years. The market research leader, JD Power and Associates named PIT among the top five airports in its two most recent customer satisfaction surveys. Conde Nast Traveler's Magazine named PIT among the best in the United States and in the world in its People's Choice Award.
History
Until the beginning of World War II, Moon Township, PA was mostly a rural agricultural area. It was too far from downtown Pittsburgh to be considered the "suburb" that it is today, although it was served solely by Pittsburgh media and state/federal services. In the early 1920s, John A. Bell of Carnegie purchased a number of small farms in Moon and established a major commercial dairy farm on his of land. He was bought out by Mr. and Mrs. E.E. Reick and C.F. Nettrour, owners of the established "Reick's" Dairy, who doubled the number of cattle at the farm.
By 1940, the United States was becoming involved in World War II. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) identified that the Pittsburgh area needed a military airport to defend the industrial wealth of the area, and provide a training base and stop-over facility. The agricultural expanses of Moon Township were attractive to the early airport planners in the city. The WPA bought the Bell Farm and began construction of the runways.
In 1944, Allegheny County officials proposed to expand the military airport with the addition of a commercial passenger terminal in order to relieve the Allegheny County Airport, which was built in 1926 and whose capacity was quickly becoming insufficient to support the growing demand for air travel. Ground was broken on the new airport on July 18, 1946. The new terminal building would eventually cost $33 million to build and was built exclusively by Pittsburgh-area companies. The new airport, christened as Greater Pittsburgh Airport (renamed Greater Pittsburgh International Airport in 1972 upon the opening of the International Arrivals Building) opened on May 31, 1952. The first flight occurred on June 3, 1952. In its full year of operation in 1953, over 1.4 million passengers used the terminal. At that time, "Greater Pitt" was considered "modern" and spacious. In fact, the airport was the largest in the United States, second only to Idlewild Airport (now JFK Airport) in New York when it was completed 5 years later.
The airport was designed by a local architect named Joseph W. Hoover. One of the primary features of his style is the use of simple, exposed concrete, steel, and glass materials. The terminal building was constructed in "stepped" levels: the first floor extended farther than the second, the second floor extended farther than the third, etc. Such a design meant that the uncovered roof of the lower level could then be used as an observation deck. In addition to the observation desks, the rounded "Horizon Room" was designed on the fourth floor with a commanding view of the airport runways. The interior of the terminal building was designed in the International Style, as was the exterior. One of the most memorable features of the lobby was the large compass laid in the floor with the green and yellow-orange terrazzo. The lobby also included shops and services for travelers. A mobile by Alexander Calder was another decorative feature of the lobby. The mobile currently hangs in the center core of the new airside terminal, and a re-creation of the compass was installed in the new terminal at an exhibit dedicated to old "Greater Pitt."
The first five airlines of the Greater Pittsburgh Airport were TWA, Capital Airlines (later part of United), Northwest, All American (later Allegheny Airlines, then USAir, and finally US Airways), and Eastern Airlines.
In 1959, the east dock was added to the terminal as air travel became more popular. On July 25, 1959, TWA introduced the first scheduled commercial jet service (Boeing 707) to Pittsburgh. With the longer range of jet engines, international air travel was more practical. By 1969, the airport sought to become an "international" airport. Ground was broken for the new International Wing, west of the original terminal building, on July 8, 1970. The International Wing opened in 1972 to accommodate federal inspection services and other requirements for international travel.
In 1972, rotundas were added to the end of each dock to further expand the number of gates at the terminal. In the later 1970s, significant growth in regional air travel created a need for additional gates at the terminal. In 1980, the South East Dock was opened. Even with all the expansions, the terminal could not meet the needs of modern air travel, and in 1987, with the financial backing of USAir (the most dominant carrier in Pittsburgh at the time), ground was broken on construction of a brand new terminal.
On October 1, 1992, the new Midfield Terminal opened and all operations transferred over from the old terminal overnight. (The old terminal remained standing for some years after, continuing to house a few operations offices; it was demolished in 1999.) The new terminal was equipped with numerous innovative, state-of-the-art features at the time, including an "AirMall" that featured shops for passengers to browse in, and "landside-airside" terminal construction which eliminated the need for connecting passengers to go through security again. The airport's capacity is one of its most valuable assets. A model to other airports around the world, the design of the terminal was planned to simplify aircraft movement on the airfield and ease pedestrian traffic to the gates.
The airport became stagnant through the 1990s, with USAir (later US Airways) concentrating on expanding at Philadelphia and Charlotte. The downturn in the economy at the start of the 21st century and the September 11th attacks, and high operating costs at the airport, put the US Airways hub in Pittsburgh at a disadvantage. The airline announced in 2004 that it would be substantially reducing its operations at Pittsburgh by shifting its primary hub to Philadelphia. By 2005, the airline had only about 170 flights per day to and from Pittsburgh, most of them domestic, compared with 542 before the reduction, including many international flights to London, Paris, and Frankfurt.
In October 2007, US Airways announced that it had selected Pittsburgh as the site of its new flight operations center, which will be the nerve center of the airline's 1,400 daily mainline flights.. This center opened November 12, 2008, and is home to approximately 600 employees, a third of the region's total US Airways work base.
Recent
The airport has seen greatly reduced traffic due to US Airways' cutbacks. The airport's operator, the Allegheny County Airport Authority, has attempted to attract new service to the airport--low-cost and international carriers in particular--in hopes of bringing more passengers, with some success. AirTran Airways, which initially had trouble competing in Pittsburgh after beginning service in 2000, was finally able to successfully expand Pittsburgh offerings after the US Airways' cuts. In 2003, USA3000 Airlines began service to Florida and has recently expanded to include international destinations in the Caribbean. Southwest Airlines began service to Pittsburgh in May 2005, and the company broke US Airways's monopolies on Tampa, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Philadelphia and brought more competition to the Chicago and Orlando markets. JetBlue Airways began service on June 30, 2006. JetBlue broke US Airways' monopoly on Boston and brought more competition to the New York market. Myrtle Beach Direct Air also began service in March 2007 and broke US Airways's monopoly on Myrtle Beach. This addition of new, mostly low-cost carriers has increased the airport's origin/destination traffic from 6.1 million in the late 1990s to 8.2 million in 2007, causing the airport to add additional parking.
Pittsburgh International opened a new Military Comfort Center located at Gate A4 to serve traveling military and their families. The center began service on November 18, 2008.
US Airways cutbacks
In 2003, US Airways approached Pittsburgh over the concern of operating fees. Since US Airways was the largest carrier at the airport, and the head of the airport's operation, they requested lower operated fees. PIT refused, and US Airways threatened to move all major operations to Philadelphia and Charlotte, which they did. US cut many flights including all flights to Europe (London, Frankfurt, and Paris) and many flights in North America. Its hub status was dropped in 2004.
In January 2008, US Airways' steady decline from a prominent hub, to a secondary hub, to a focus city, saw its days numbered, but the nail in the coffin arrived with the imposition of only 68 daily flights. On this day, it was a focus city no more and was christened a US Airways' destination. CEO Doug Parker stated "unfortunately our ability to operate profitably from Pittsburgh has been sharply eroded over the past few years and the hub lost more than $40 million over the past 12 months alone." Today US Airways operates only 10 gates on the B concourse. Concourses A & B, where the airline once controlled all 50 gates, have each been truncated (walled-off) with a total of 26 gates being closed. The gates were closed as part of a cost cutting strategy to offset US Airways' decline.
US Airways announced more flight cuts that took effect in early January 2009 as part of a reduction in capacity due to higher fuel costs. All Florida markets (Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa) as well as Indianapolis have been eliminated from its Pittsburgh schedule. In early March 2009, the airline's three daily flights to Newark were also eliminated. This move has left the airline with an average of 50 daily departures to only 12 destinations.
Future plans
Airport officials are now constructing a new baggage sorting facility on the grounds where the northern most arm of the old E gates was located. The arm was demolished early in 2007 to make room for the new Northern Matrix Baggage Sorting Facility. The new facility will be used by US Airways and Southwest Airlines. By adding the new facility, the current screening machines on the ticketing level near US Airways' ticket counter will not be needed. Everything will be screened "in- line" similar to the southern end of the ticketing level served by all the other airlines. Southwest Airlines will be moved from their current location to a new ticket counter beside US Airways. This will give them the extra room they would need to expand services in the future.
Dick's Sporting Goods announced that they will be relocating their headquarters to Findlay Township on airport grounds. They have outgrown their current facility located just a few miles southeast of the airport near Robinson Town Centre. The new complex will have a hangar and taxiway access for private aircraft.
A new cargo facility is being proposed with help from the state. The first phase of the multi- million dollar project would include of warehouse distribution and air cargo space. This could help talks between PIT and Xi'an Xianyang International Airport in China.
On November 6, 2008 Delta Air Lines announced that it will begin nonstop service from Pittsburgh to Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport on June 3, 2009. The outbound flight will operate five times a week, daily except for Tuesdays and Fridays, while the return flight will operate daily except Wednesdays and Saturdays. Delta will fly its Boeing 757-200 on the route with 16 BusinessElite seats and 158 economy seats. The new service was made possible by Delta's successful joint-venture with Air France. .
On February 19, 2009, American Airlines announced that it will be reinstating mainline service between Pittsburgh and the airline's hub at Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport on June 12, 2009 using its MD-80 jets. According to American Airlines, “The Pittsburgh—Dallas/Fort Worth market has proven to be a strong performer for American Airlines". The airport has not served mainline American Airlines scheduled flights since October 19, 2005 when regional affiliate American Eagle had taken over all service.
Passenger complex
The airport complex consists of two main buildings, the "Landside Terminal" and the "Airside Terminal."
Landside Terminal
The landside terminal is the building closest to the parking areas and the entry point for passengers whose flights originate from Pittsburgh. It includes ticketing, 12 baggage claim areas (6 belong to US Airways, although they currently utilize 2), security checkpoints, and ground transportation such as taxi, limo, and rapid transit. There is a attached to the enclosed moving walkway. There are also shops in the landside terminal including Au Bon Pain, Travelmart, Sue Venir, City of Bridges Cafe, and a baggage claim Travelmart. There are Travelers Aid desks on the transit and baggage claim levels as well as Airport Police Headquarters.
After passing through the security checkpoint, passengers board one of two underground people movers that travel to the airside terminal, where all departure gates are located. It was built and operated by Bombardier Transportation and is completely controlled by computer (there is no driver onboard).
The baggage claim is located on the bottom level of the Landside Terminal. The baggage claim assignments are as follows:
Note - there is an oversized belt near claim F (Carousel 6) for any oversized baggage.
Airside Terminal
The airside terminal consists of 4 concourses (A, B, C, D) that hold the departure gates. In the center core is the majority of the AirMall shops (there are over 100 shops including GAP, Swarovski, Brighton Collectibles, Brooks Brothers, Body Shop, Godiva, Victoria's Secret, Sam Adams Brewery, Lids, Ben & Jerry's, PGA Tour Shop, GNC, Brookstone, Charley's Steakhouse and Rite Aid). On the mezzanine level are the US Airways Club and a chapel. There are also Carnegie Science Center and Pittsburgh Aviation History Displays located throughout the airport.
Airline lounges
US Airways has their US Airways Club on the mezzanine level of the airside terminal. It is accessible by escalators in the center core area. Before a post 9/11 restructure of routes (dehubbing PIT), US Airways had three clubs. The other two clubs were located down the A and B concourses. British Airways also had a lounge area in the C concourse during their transatlantic flight operations from Pittsburgh (1980s to late 1990s). Their lounge room is still there intact but now closed off.
Parking
Pittsburgh International offers on site parking operated by the Grant Oliver Corporation and patrolled by the Allegheny County Police. Grant Oliver offers usage of a GO FAST Pass account to pay for parking electronically at the airport. Go Fast Pass customers may register their E-Zpass transponders to use with the system, although billing and other aspects of the system are entirely handled by Grant Oliver. There are regular parking shuttles to the Long Term and Extended lots that can be accessed from the Baggage Claim level of the Landside Terminal outside doors six and eight.
There are three options for parking: Short Term, Long Term, and Extended. The Short Term garage is attached to the Landside Terminal via the enclosed moving walkway. There are 2,100 spaces available. The Long Term section also quick access to the enclosed moving walkway. There are 3,100 spaces available here. The Extended section does not have access to the enclosed moving walkway but does have regular parking shuttles that can be accessed from the Baggage Claim level of the Landside Terminal outside doors six and eight. There are 8,000 spaces available in the Extended lot.
Terminals, airlines, and destinations
Pittsburgh International Airport has 75 gates on 4 concourses:
Concourse A
Concourse A has 25 gates: A1 - A25
Note: Only gates A1-A10, A12, & A14 are currently available for use, as the end of the concourse is closed-off.
Airline destinations and gate assignments
| Airlines | Destinations |
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| Southwest Airlines Gates A1, A3, & A5 | Baltimore, Chicago-Midway, Las Vegas, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Tampa |
Concourse B
Concourse B has 25 gates: B26 - B50
Note: Only gates B26-B37 are currently available for use, as the end of the concourse is closed-off.
Airline destinations and gate assignments
| Airlines | Destinations |
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| US Airways Gates B26-B37 | Charlotte, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, Washington-Reagan
- US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin (Boston, New York-LaGuardia, Washington-Reagan)
- US Airways Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines (New York-LaGuardia, Washington-Reagan)
- US Airways Express operated by Piedmont Airlines (Philadelphia, Washington-Reagan)
- US Airways Express operated by Republic Airlines (Boston, Charlotte, New York-LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Washington-Reagan)
- US Airways Express operated by Trans States Airlines (Hartford/Springfield, Raleigh/Durham, St. Louis)
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Concourse C
Concourse C has 11 gates: C51 - C61
Airline destinations and gate assignments
| Airlines | Destinations |
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| Air Canada Gate C51 |
| | AirTran Airways Gates C52 & C54 | Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers [seasonal], Orlando, Tampa [seasonal] | | JetBlue Airways Gates C56 & C58 | Boston, New York-JFK | | United Airlines Gates C51 & C53 | Chicago-O'Hare, DenverUnited Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines (Washington-Dulles)United Express operated by Mesa Airlines (Washington-Dulles)United Express operated by Shuttle America (Chicago-O'Hare, Denver, Washington-Dulles)United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Denver)United Express operated by Trans States Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles) | | USA3000 Airlines Gate C60 | Cancún, Chicago-O'Hare, Cleveland, Detroit, Fort Myers, Montego Bay [seasonal], Philadelphia, Punta Cana |
International arrivals
All international arrivals, except for cities with U.S. border preclearance, pass through Concourse C as customs and immigration is located on the lower level of the concourse. There is a separate area at the end of Concourse C where international flights arrive. Currently, USA3000 is the only scheduled airline that serves destinations without preclearance; Delta will be the second airline when it begins its nonstop flights to Paris in June 2009.
Gates C55, C57 & C59-C61 are designated to accommodate international traffic. Gate C61 includes a dual jetway to accommodate widebody aircraft, which was originally designed for US Airways' Airbus A330 and British Airways' Boeing 747.
Concourse D
Concourse D has 14 gates: D76 - D89
Airline destinations and gate assignments
| Airlines | Destinations |
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| American Airlines Gates D86, D88-D89 | Dallas/Fort Worth [resumes June 12]
- American Eagle (Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia)
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>| Continental Airlines Gates D77 & D79 | Houston-Intercontinental
| | Delta Air Lines Gates D76, D78, & D80 | Atlanta, Paris-Charles de Gaulle [begins June 3]Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta)Delta Connection operated by Chautauqua Airlines (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky)Delta Connection operated by Comair (Atlanta, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, New York-JFK)Delta Connection operated by Freedom Airlines (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, New York-JFK)Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines (Atlanta) | | Direct Air Gate D87 | Direct Air operated by Virgin America (Myrtle Beach) | | Midwest Airlines Gate D87 | Midwest Connect operated by Republic Airlines (Milwaukee)Midwest Connect operated by SkyWest Airlines (Milwaukee) | | Northwest Airlines Gates D81, D83, & D85 | Detroit, Minneapolis/St. PaulNorthwest Airlink operated by Compass Airlines (Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul)Northwest Airlink operated by Mesaba Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul)Northwest Airlink operated by Pinnacle Airlines (Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul) |
Note: Delta Air Lines' international arrivals will be processed in Concourse C.
Concourse E
Concourse E had 22 gates: E1 - E22
Concourse E was a passenger terminal area connected to the airport's landside building and was formerly used for quick access to US Airways Express commuter aircraft. Following cuts in service by US Airways, all Concourse E gates have been closed to air traffic. A portion of the concourse has been demolished to make way for a new baggage sorting facility for US Airways and Southwest Airlines, while the remaining portion of the concourse is used as an alternative security checkpoint. This additional checkpoint helps alleviate long lines at the airport's main airside checkpoint during peak travel times.
Transportation
Highway connections
Pittsburgh International is located at Exit 6 of Pennsylvania Route 60 (future I-376) and the Northern Terminus Pennsylvania Route 576 (future I-576), and within of I-79 and of I-76 the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I-70 to the south and I-80 to the north are both less than an hour away.
Public transit
Bus service is also available from Downtown Pittsburgh and the city's University District (Oakland) via Port Authority's 28X Route as well as from the suburban BCTA Transit to locations north and westbound.
Route | Title | Areas Served
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Airport Flyer
28X
| Universities, Downtown Pittsburgh, PIT
| Robinson Town Centre, Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh. Duquesne University, Chatham University, University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Point Park University
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BCTA
#6
| Rochester, PIT, Robinson Mall
| Rochester, Hopewell, PIT, Robinson Town Centre, Robinson Mall
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Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato hopes to eventually extend the Pittsburgh Light Rail system to the airport one day; however, no formal plans have been made for an extension, and it is currently merely a proposal.
Innovations
Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi throughout a passenger terminal was introduced to world air travelers first at Pittsburgh International, a service that has been copied by several airports and airline terminals throughout the world since. Hand in hand with its technology prowess Pittsburgh also became the first airport in the world to offer fare alert emails. The airport innovated proactive emails on airfare discounts by carrier and destination weekly, proving very successful it was recognized by the Airports Council International for Excellence in Marketing and Communications in 2007 as first place in North America. Using another blessing of Wi-Fi technology, Pittsburgh International Airport also helped to innovate electronic parking at airports nationwide with its GoFastPass system - a system similar to E-ZPass.
AirMall concept
The AirMall at the airport also provided several world's firsts in both featuring fair "street prices" to wary air travelers and being the first major and diverse shopping center located within an airport terminal when it opened in 1992 with over 100 name brand retailers. Along with this concept Pittsburgh became the first airport to have two Xpress Spas in its retail area.
Upon opening, many local shoppers used to be able to shop inside the AirMall freely. However, this changed after 9/11, and due to security concerns, anyone who was allowed past security without being an employee at the AirMall or the airport itself must purchase an airline ticket. Business dropped considerably due to the tighter regulations, though business has since regained pre-9/11 levels.
Among the stores currently at the AirMall include several specialty shops, CNBC Business stores, a Rite Aid (a former Eckerd, itself originally a Thrift Drug), two McDonald's locations, T.G.I. Friday's, Charley's Steakery, Lids, Victoria's Secret, O'Briens Grille & Pub, Upper Crust, Godiva Chocolates, Brookstone, Taxco Sterling Silver, Crocs Store.
Service
Pittsburgh was one of the first airports to deploy dozens of portable defibrillators, and developed the first volunteer ambassador program.. As of 2007 PIT became one of the first airport pilot programs (post 9/11) to allow guests at the airport hotel to have terminal access to the Airmall. Guests at the Hyatt Regency wishing to use this service must request a pass at the front desk and they will contact the proper authority to get them a security pass. Those wishing to do so still have to go through the security checkpoint.
Pittsburgh International has also shown excellence among carrier networks. Southwest Airlines had named its Pittsburgh base as the best in its system for 2006, in its first full year of service at PIT. Among the factors in the award is on-time performance and efficient baggage service, two areas where the airport in general excels.
Aviation
Airport maintenance has also claimed world firsts for Pittsburgh International, developing one of the best winter weather operations in the nation with its unique front and rear deicing fleets and embedded runway sensors. The first use of the front discharge spray bars during winter weather was at Pittsburgh. This innovative spirit among airport ground maintenance crews coupled with the abundance of runways and lengths, has given Pittsburgh the reputation in the industry as one of the few airports free of weather or winter delays.
Pittsburgh International also is unique as being scheduled as the first "Joint Readiness Center",
Runways
Pittsburgh International's airfield features a wide, open layout and four runways, including three east-west parallel runways and a fourth crosswind runway. This allows for the efficient flow of air traffic in nearly any wind condition. The airport's two longest runways are 11,500 and in length, allowing PIT to accommodate even the largest of commercial aircraft. However, due to the development of non-aviation related business on airport land, PIT can add only one additional runway (this number was as high as four in the past).
With the availability of three parallel runways, simultaneous landings or departures can be performed in nearly any situation. Runways 10R and 10L are equipped with Category III ILS (Instrument Landing System). 28R, 28L, and 32 have Category I ILS and 10C/ 28C has LOC/ GS.
Additional operations
Military Facilities
Pittsburgh International, as a primarily commercial complex, may not strike the average flyer as a site rich in military aviation tradition. Founded as a military base for the U.S. Army Air Forces to answer the region's defense needs during World War II, the complex continues its Air Force legacy in support of today's U.S. Air Force and the Air Mobility Command (AMC) in reduced, but still visible ways as home to Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station. The airport hosts an average of 20 military flight operations per day in its role as host to the region's defense center.
Pittsburgh's military heritage is also rekindled each summer as the complex hosts one of the largest air shows on the east coast, "Wings over Pittsburgh". Roughly 200,000 spectators attended the two-day show in 2005. The military end of the airport complex has also been mentioned as the best relocation site for the region's Base Exchange (BX) operated by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES). The 2008 scheduled closing of the nearby Charles E. Kelley Support Facility and its Post Exchange (PX) has brought PIT the opportunity to host the new BX facility on its military side.
Air Force Reserve
The 911th Airlift Wing (911 AW) on the airport's southeastern side is an Air Mobility Command (AMC)-gained unit of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), operating the C-130H Hercules tactical airlift aircraft. The 911 AW is composed of approximately 1,220 Air Force Reserve personnel. The wing employs approximately 320 civilians, including more than 180 Air Reserve Technicians (ART) holding dual civilian and military positions, as well as full-time active duty Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) personnel.
Air National Guard
The 171st Air Refueling Wing (171 ARW) of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard on the airport's southwestern side is also an Air Mobility Command (AMC)-gained organization and operates sixteen KC-135T Stratotanker air refueling aircraft, providing air refueling and air mobility/strategic airlift services world-wide. The 171 ARW is one of three flying wings in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and is comprised of over 400 full time staff consisting of Active Guard and Reserve (AGR), dual civilian-military status Air Reserve Technicians (ART) and other USAF civilians, as well as over 1,000 "traditional" part-time Air National Guard personnel.
FAA Facilities
Although the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard maintain a great presence on that corner of the complex, the shuttering of some of the Air Force facilities in recent decades has led to the growth of a new tenant for that equipment at Pittsburgh. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken over much of the excess cold-war era infrastructure that the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard no longer needs, making Pittsburgh recently an important regional center for the agency.
General aviation
The new Business Aviation Center (FBO Avcenter), located at the site of the former airport terminal building, is a modern and full service facility for management of corporate air travel and general aviation. This area is accessible by using Business 60 (Future Business I-376) near Moon Township.
Cargo
The airport's three cargo carriers account for over 100 million pounds (45 million kg) of freight per year. Three cargo buildings provide more than 183,000 sq ft (17,000 m˛) of warehouse capacity and over 450,000 sq ft (42,000 m˛) of apron space.
The following major cargo airlines have regular cargo service to and from Pittsburgh International Airport. Multiple destinations are served, the usual ones are noted:
- Astar (DHL) (Rochester, Providence (RI), Wilmington (OH))
- FedEx Express (Columbus-Rickenbacker, Indianapolis, Memphis)
- FedEx Feeder operated by Wiggins Airways (Altoona, Cumberland (MD), Johnstown, State College)
- UPS Airlines (Louisville, Philadelphia)
Fire school
The Allegheny County Airport Authority Fire Bureau operates a next-generation, state of the art Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) Training Center.
As an FAA regional training facility it comes equipped with a Boeing 757 mock-up offering realistic and challenging training. The simulated tail engine offers ARFF personnel critical high engine training scenarios. Adjacent to the first-training simulator is a four-story tower that houses the Computer Center ensuring consistent repeatable evolutions for each trainee and allows training to be conducted with the utmost safety of participants in mind. Being well within the airport boundary and designed to be in an area that minimizes distractions, the classrooms, management center, vehicle bay, trainee/equipment support areas and visitors center are located directly adjacent to the training grounds. This layout maximizes training time for students. The use of propane and control of water run-off combine to reduce environmental impact while providing quality occupational education for fire fighters, emergency responders and industrial personnel.
The year round training facility offers specialized sessions in cold climate training evolutions. The system is propane fueled and computer controlled. It features a number of burn scenarios including:
- fuel spill burn area
- Wing engine fire
- Wheel/brake fire
- Gallery fire
- Cockpit fire
- Passenger Compartment fire
- Lavatory/Trash Receptacle fire
- Flashover simulation.
Fictional portrayals
The Pittsburgh International Airport has hosted major Hollywood productions, including:
Aircraft accidents at PIT
- November 22, 2001 a corporate Learjet crashed after a rapid takeoff in which it went "nose-high" before the Pilot Flying (PF) lost control, both on board were killed.
- September 8, 1994 USAir Flight 427, a 737-300, crashed on approach from Chicago O'Hare International Airport. All 132 people on board were killed. It resulted in the longest and most thorough NTSB investigation in world history. It was determined that a lock occurred in rudder control that caused the plane to fall uncontrollably from . Boeing has retrofitted every 737 because of the data gathered from this crash. The plane crashed roughly North-Northwest in Hopewell Township.
- April 1, 1956 TWA Flight 400 from Pittsburgh to Newark crashed about a half mile after taking off when the Captain and First Officer did not immediately correct a small engine malfunction/fire. Due to miscommunication and lack of focus it caused failure and a crash. 22 of 36 occupants were killed.
See also
External links
, navigating the terminal, transportation to and from the airport, Pittsburgh districts
- USA Today
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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