Allegheny County Airport Authority pays CEO nearly $255K bonus

The Allegheny County Airport Authority board on Friday authorized a massive bonus for CEO Christina Cassotis.

Cassotis received a $254,718 bonus, equal to about 45% of her 2023 salary, airport authority spokesman Matt Neistein said.

She also received a 6% pay raise, bringing her 2024 salary to just over $600,000. Neistein said the raise is part of her contract, which runs through 2027.

There is no taxpayer money in the airport’s budget, so none of her compensation is funded by taxpayers, Neistein said.

“Christina has met and exceeded all the goals we set for her in 2023,” David Minnotte, the authority’s chairman, said in a statement. “She has helped to maintain an excellent relationship with the airlines and kept the airport’s finances competitive.”

He said her compensation “is in line with what other airports nationally and internationally are paying to keep top talent.”

This comes as the airport authority released data showing its rebound from the covid-19 pandemic in 2023. Pittsburgh International Airport saw approximately 9.2 million passengers in 2023, a 13% increase from the year prior. That’s about 582,000 passengers fewer than its pre-pandemic 2019 numbers.

Cassotis has received large bonuses and pay raises in the past, including a $184,500 performance bonus in 2022. She got a 23% salary increase that year, too.

In 2018, the board voted to award Cassotis a $146,020 performance bonus during a closed-doors meeting.