The incredible £1.2bn mega-project set to revolutionise airport in major city

A major airport just 10 miles from the major city it serves is set to undergo a major modernisation project at the eyewatering cost of £1.2 billion. First opened 72 years ago, it handled 9.95 million passengers last year, a record-breaking figure for the airport and surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) lies just a few miles west of downtown Pittsburgh, a major city, Pennsylvania. It also serves adjacent areas in West Virginia and Ohio. Offering passenger flights to destinations throughout North America and Europe, PIT has four runways and covers 10,000 acres. It is undergoing a major modernisation project that is set to be completed this year.

The $1.39 billion (£1.2 billion) project is set to redefine air travel in Pittsburgh. It intends to seamlessly integrate check-in, security and baggage reclaim all under one roof and to remove the need for shuttle buses between buildings.

It is set to slash travel time by half, according to Giga Projects.

The project also includes a huge new 3,300-space car park and a three-level bridge designed to enhance functionality and aesthetics.

The terminal itself will feature expanded concession spaces and a more efficient security screening checkpoint with separate levels for departures and arrivals. The airside design includes enhancements to the fueling system, gate layouts and airfield lighting, all designed to optimise operations.

The renovation was first announced in 2017, but has suffered from significant delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

PIT first opened in 1952 and was only served by five airlines at that time. It underwent a massive $1 billion rebuilding and expansion that was largely designed to US Airways’s (now American Airlines) specifications so it could become one of their major hubs.

Completed in 1992, the new airport was one of the most innovative in the world, dubbed the "airport of the future" by the New York Times. It helped to pioneer modern airport design with its X-shape to reduce the distance between gates, underground trams to transport passengers around the airport, and an array of shopping options, all of which were cutting-edge at the time.

When the airport reopened in 1992, only 80% of passengers used the airport for connections. As of 2025, 95% of travellers now start or finish their trip in Pittsburgh. The closing of the US Airways hub allowed new low-cost carriers to enter the market, creating more choices for local passengers. British Airways began service to Heathrow in 2019, aboard a Boeing 787.

In 2021, the airport became the first in the world to have its own microgrid, which used natural gas and solar power to provide power to the entire airport.