Aviation Fans Are Excited About the New Airport Terminal Being Built in Pittsburgh

Full of next-gen touches like rainwater harvesting and artificial intelligence, the 700,000-square-foot structure broke ground this week
Aviation Fans Are Excited About the New Airport Terminal Being Built in Pittsburgh
Allegheny County Airport Authority

The city of Pittsburgh is getting a new airport, one that many aviation-watchers are saying could serve as a model for new airport design well into the 21st century. 

Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) breaks ground today on a $1.4 billion tech-forward terminal, which is also the first new terminal built in the country since the pandemic. Called the Terminal Modernization Project and expected to be completed in 2025, the airport includes a 700,000-square-foot terminal, a multi-level, 3,300-space parking garage, and a ground transportation center with rental car facilities. It’s a project that started before the pandemic and was put on hold as it raged.

The terminal is a showpiece for next-generation technology and sustainability, says Larry Studdiford, the founder of Studdiford Technical Solutions, an airport security and baggage systems consulting firm in Alexandria, Virginia.

A look inside the new terminal now under construction at Pittsburgh International Airport.

The building will be powered by the airport’s own micro-grid which has 10,000 solar panels and five natural gas generators. And during construction, according to the Pitt Transformed site that details the project, “a minimum of 75% waste will be recycled or reused, including concrete from existing ramps that will be reused for new roads.” Harvesting rainwater and other water conservation efforts are also in store.

“Relying on a micro-grid to be self-sustaining and partnering with universities to configure the technologies used in the terminal are definitely innovative,” Studdiford says. “It’s not really something that the industry has seen.” He adds that, however, he’s not surprised because Pittsburgh has always been forward thinking with respect to its airport operations. “The airport used to be a hub for US Airways, and back then, the design and layout were considered cutting edge in the airport world and allowed for efficient operations,” he says. “This is another is another example of Pittsburgh looking to the future.”

Design-wise, the terminal aims to make experience for passengers more efficient, and—dare we say it?—even fun. Features include shorter walking distances for arriving and departing passengers that reduce the time it takes to get from the curb to the plane by 50%, pre- and post-security outdoor terraces adorned with plants, an abundance of greenery indoors, and art displays. Other significant elements include clean air technology and more efficient and faster baggage delivery because the baggage claim devices will be longer, and bags will need to travel less distance from the planes to passengers.

And that’s just for now. The airport is currently collaborating with Carnegie Mellon to test AI-enabled technologies such as self-driving cars, robots that clean, and autonomous baggage delivery.

PIT isn’t the only airport in the country that’s relying on the latest technologies. Studdiford says that several others are making similar strides such as Dallas/Forth Worth International Airport, which has an in-house innovation team that includes employees who come from a diversity of industries outside of aviation.

Still, Pittsburgh’s terminal is shaping up to be among the most pioneering—at least as of now. “It will be shiny and new and futuristic,” Studdiford says.