Pittsburgh International Named Airport of the Year by Air Transport World
A plethora of new flights, positive strides in improving customer experience led to award
Air Transport World magazine has announced Pittsburgh International Airport as its 2017 Airport of the Year, joining an impressive list of past winners around the world as the first U.S. airport to win.
Pittsburgh joins the ranks of Hong Kong International, London Heathrow and Singapore Changi, respectively, since the airport category was added four years ago. ATW, part of the Aviation Week Network, has awarded the aviation industry’s best-in-class for 43 years and is recognized in the industry as a key source industry professionals rely on for analysis, marketing and intelligence.
“In the past two years, Pittsburgh International Airport has nearly doubled the number of nonstop destinations available to travelers. Just like our region, the airport service continues to grow, serving business and leisure travelers alike,” Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said. “We are proud of the work being done by the team at Pittsburgh International Airport, and thank ATW for this fantastic recognition.”
Pittsburgh International will officially be honored in March along with other winners and will be featured in the next issue of the magazine.
“This award is a huge honor from a longtime, respected industry resource. Pittsburgh International has turned a corner – passengers, flights and destinations are up – and the industry has taken notice,” Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis said. “We’re excited by the turnaround story at the airport which has been powered by a tenacious team at every level in the Authority and an engaged and supportive community.”
In selecting Pittsburgh International Airport, ATW cited the rapid ascent in air service gains as well as increased community engagement. Pittsburgh International serves 68 nonstop destinations, a 75 percent increase over the 37 destinations available in 2014. The airport has seen multiple new carriers enter the market including Condor, WOW, Allegiant, Frontier, OneJet, Porter, and Southern Airways, as well as additions from Southwest, Delta and JetBlue. The airport just finished its busiest year since 2008 with more than 8.3 million passengers, posting a third straight year of gains after more than a decade of decline.
The airport and its Board of Directors have also spearheaded a community coalition to support air service that includes business and tourism organizations, elected officials at the county, state and local levels, foundations, and colleges and universities.