Pittsburgh’s new $1.7 billion terminal wows, inspires Cleveland Hopkins airport overhaul
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – With a roofline that emulates the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania and steel columns that look like trees, the new terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport aims to promote an updated image of the Steel City.
Even more important than the way it looks, however, is the way it functions, with intuitive wayfinding and a design that leads passengers toward a new security screening area and the gates beyond.
“I hope people walk through here and have a very different impression of the city,” said Christina Cassotis, CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport, which will debut its new $1.7 billion terminal on Tuesday.
The new terminal sits about a half-mile from the existing facility, which was built in 1992 when Pittsburgh was a hub for US Airways.
The project is being watched closely by officials at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, which is in the early stages of developing its own new terminal, set to open in 2032.
Related: Work begins this month on Cleveland Hopkins’ $1.6 billion overhaul
Bryant Francis, director at Cleveland Hopkins, recently toured the new Pittsburgh facility and came away impressed. “I appreciated the layout and design with an abundance of natural light filtering through and architectural touches that give it a strong sense of place,” he said.
The new terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport glows at night.Courtesy Pittsburgh International AirportPittsburgh’s new terminal includes 13 TSA lanes, 12 for passengers and one for employees, compared to seven in the old terminal.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.comPedestrian bridge connecting the new terminal to the existing gate area.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
Comparing Cleveland and Pittsburgh
Airports in Pittsburgh and Cleveland have faced similar challenges in recent decades, both dehubbed by major airlines – Pittsburgh, in 2004, by US Airways; and Cleveland, in 2014, by United Airlines.
Since the dehubbings, both airports have experienced significant changes in the type of travelers who use their facilities.
Columbus, too, is building a new airport terminal, due to be completed in 2029, although its space issues are different. In Columbus, the city’s rapidly growing population is straining an airport that is too small to accommodate demand.
Related: Fast-growing Columbus airport will debut new terminal in 2029
Pittsburgh, on the other hand, was in need of a somewhat smaller facility, but also one that was substantially reconfigured.
At its height, in 1997, Pittsburgh welcomed 21 million passengers, but 80% of them were connecting passengers, meaning they didn’t park at the airport, they didn’t check or retrieve bags at the airport, and they didn’t pass through security at the airport.
Cleveland, meanwhile, welcomed more than 13 million passengers at its zenith in 2000, although the majority, like in Pittsburgh, were connecting passengers.
Both cities’ airports now serve about 10 million passengers annually, almost all of whom either start or end their trip at the airport.
Pittsburgh’s airport, about two hours southeast of Cleveland, also draws a small percentage of travelers from Northeast Ohio, primarily from the eastern suburbs and the Akron-Canton-Youngstown areas.
To accommodate the increase in local passengers, Pittsburgh’s new terminal features an expansive TSA screening area, now with 13 lanes up from seven, alongside wide-open check-in and baggage claim spaces.
The new terminal is spread across three levels – with check-in and TSA at the top, baggage claim in the middle and commercial pickups and drop-offs at the bottom. The lower level also provides access to a new 3,200-space parking garage, reached via a new customer services building with car rental services.
Designed by Spanish architect Luis Vidal along with the U.S. firms of Gensler and HDR, the new terminal features floor-to-ceiling windows and soaring ceilings embedded with 4,500 tiny LED lights to evoke an evening sky.
Also here: four outdoor terraces, two before security and two after, plus lots and lots of local art, including Luggage Thoughts, featuring suitcases that think; and Looking Up From Here, a snapshot of life on a Pittsburgh street, in the arrivals-level restroom. (Yes, even the restrooms have art.)
There’s also a prominently featured quote from favorite son Fred Rogers: “The world is full of possibilities.”
And never fear, Steelers fans, the statue from the old terminal depicting Franco Harris’ immaculate reception will be featured, as well.
A statue of Steelers great Franco Harris will be moved into this space in the new terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.comAmong the features in the new Pittsburgh terminal: extra-spacious restrooms.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.comPittsburgh’s new terminal features four outdoor terraces, including this one.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
Touring the terminal
The new terminal is built immediately adjacent to the airport’s existing X-shaped concourses, whereas the old terminal is located about a half mile away.
Since 1992, local travelers have had to board a tram to get to their gate after checking in and passing through security.
The tram will be decommissioned when the new terminal opens. Instead, travelers will access the gates via a new pedestrian bridge, designed to evoke the Fort Pitt Tunnel, which connects the new and old buildings.
A traveler’s time from check-in to gate should be cut in half in the new terminal, according to Bob Kerlik, director of public affairs for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which owns and operates the airport.
The concourses have been updated but not substantially altered, he said. The number of gates has been reduced to about 55, down from a high of 100 during the hub years.
“Everything in that terminal was built for the connecting passenger,” said Kerlik. “We were oversized in some areas and undersized in others.”
There’s also a new international arrivals area, which will funnel passengers from international flights directly from customs into the arrivals/baggage claim area for a quicker exit.
Speaking of baggage claim: Because the new terminal is closer to the gates (and therefore closer to the planes), the length of the baggage belt has been reduced from 8 miles to 3 miles, which should substantially decrease malfunctions and the wait time for luggage, according to Kerlik.
John Vuyakovich, from nearby Midland, Pa., said he was impressed with the setup.
“It’s a nice welcome if you’re not from here,” said Vuyakovich, a volunteer at the airport’s terminal trial in late October, which was designed to test how the facility functions with people in it.
“It looks very modern — a great first impression,” said Pittsburgher Chris Powers, who appreciated the expansive TSA screening area and vibrant signage.
Not everyone was impressed, however.
“It’s very pretty but it’s not very functional,” said Doug Beatty of Pittsburgh, traveling with wife, Debbie Beatty, who was using a walker.
“This is a mess,” she said. “The other airport is a piece of cake compared to this. It’s a tremendous amount of walking.”
Francis, director at Cleveland Hopkins, said he appreciated the structure’s intuitive design, natural light and strong sense of place.
His favorite elements, however, were the outdoor spaces.
“While the undulating ceiling was quite impressive with its starry night simulation, the highlight for me was seeing the expansive terraces,” he said. “I hope to incorporate outdoor space into our design that will allow for airfield views to observe aircraft arriving and departing.”
Inside the new $1.7 billion terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.comPittsburgh’s new terminal features an undulating roof, lots of natural light and structural poles that resemble trees.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.comPittsburgh’s new terminal is set to open sometime in November.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
Paying for the project
Crews broke ground on Pittsburgh’s new terminal in 2021, after a year-long delay due to the COVID pandemic.
The new terminal’s initial price tag, approved by the airlines, was $1.39 billion, which swelled in recent years to $1.7 billion due to inflation, added features and other elements.
The project is being funded primarily by a combination of airline fees and airport revenue, including parking and concessions.
All 15 airlines that do business in Pittsburgh have signed onto a financing agreement to support the project.
“They’ve been our partners every step of the way,” said Kerlik. “The old terminal was not efficient for them either.”
The airport also received about $130 million in federal infrastructure money for the project. The Pittsburgh airport, too, has some unique sources of income, including casino revenue distributed by the state and revenue from shale drilling on the property, which is located on about 8,800 acres 20 miles northwest of downtown Pittsburgh.
During an interview inside the new terminal last month, the airport’s Cassotis recalled her impression of the facility when she arrived in Pittsburgh in 2015.
“I remember thinking, ‘This doesn’t represent the community at all,’” she said.
Soon, she said, it will. “It will definitely feel like Pittsburgh.”
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