PAUL HOBACK, CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

With 30,000 square feet of scaffolding erected, hundreds of construction laborers at work and all sorts of equipment whirring, Pittsburgh International Airport’s new $1.5 billion terminal is starting to take shape. 

Construction is 60% complete and on track to open in 2025, says Paul Hoback, chief development officer and executive vice president of the Allegheny County Airport Authority. But he declined to be more specific on an actual opening date as he led a tour of media representatives through the construction area on Feb. 29. 

The highlight was a walk through the 140-foot bridge and tunnel – which is designed to mirror the Fort Pitt Tunnel and its entrance to Pittsburgh’s Downtown – that will connect the new terminal with the existing airside area.

THIS BRIDGE AND TUNNEL WILL LEAD PASSENGERS INTO THE AIRSIDE AREA. PHOTO BY AIDAN MCCLAIN

The authority broke ground on the 700,000-square-foot terminal in October 2021, which is designed to be smaller, but the right size for Pittsburgh’s future. The current Landside and Airside terminals opened in 1992 and were built to accommodate 35 million passengers for what was then a major USAir hub. But the airport lost that hub in 2004 and in 2019 — pre-pandemic — hosted fewer than 10 million passengers a year.

“Ninety-five percent of our passengers are origin and destination passengers,” he says about the current airport. “They start their journey in Pittsburgh or end their journey in Pittsburgh and only 5% are connecting. So the airport that was built for this major hub of connecting traffic is completely different today. That’s one of the primary reasons why we’re doing this project.”

Hoback says there will be a gap in time between when construction is completed and the new terminal opens to allow for testing to make sure everything is working properly. Volunteers will be recruited to make their way through the airport as “passengers” to eliminate any existing glitches.

THE TUNNEL LEADS TO THE AIRSIDE AREA, SHOWN HERE. | PHOTO BY AIDAN MCCLAIN

Here are some details that Hoback shared of what travelers will see and experience when they visit the new terminal:

• With high-tech scanning equipment in the security lanes, passengers will not have to take anything out of their bags, such as laptops, other electronics, liquids, etc. But Hoback said it would be up to TSA agents on whether they will still need to remove their shoes.
• There will be 11 security lanes, with one of those dedicated for families. “We know that they often need a little bit more time so it’s going to be a great experience for the families,” Hoback says.
• The baggage system will be much quicker and more efficient. Currently the airport has an 8-mile conveyor system for the bags; that will be reduced to 2 miles. There will be eight baggage claim areas and each one will be larger.
• The terminal will have 58 gates, compared to the 70 at the airport now.
• The arrival area of the terminal will be surrounded by large windows, allowing a lot of natural light. “This entire level will be one large observation deck… you’ll be able to see what’s going on and planes taking off,” he says.
• The new parking garage, whose ground floor will house rental cars, will initially have 2,700 spaces and will offer a “smart parking system” that will direct drivers to available spaces.