What you need to know about Pittsburgh International Airport's new terminal

With only hours to go before Pittsburgh International Airport debuts its new terminal, travelers heading in or out on Tuesday may be wondering what to expect.

Here’s a quick guide to help travelers navigate the opening day:

When travelers arrive at Pittsburgh International Airport, they’ll find two nearby parking areas clearly marked by signage, offering more than 6,000 spaces. The garages include eco-friendly snow-melt systems on the open top level and feature EV charging stations.

The new Terminal Garage will offer 3,300 spaces and twice as much covered parking as before. Digital signs will display real-time availability, with green lights marking open spots to help drivers navigate quickly.

Additionally, the Terminal Lot is new, which is an approximate five-minute walk to the terminal’s front door. The Shuttle Lot, formerly comprising the Long-Term, Extended and Economy Lots, includes thousands of parking spaces and new, heated shelters with a shuttle tracking system that displays real-time information.

Parking spots can be pre-booked online. Daily parking costs across these options range between $8 and $35, plus tax.

Once inside the new terminal, travelers will go through a single, consolidated security checkpoint with 12 TSA lanes — up from the seven at the former main checkpoint — eliminating the need for an alternate screening area.

The new terminal features four public terraces (two before security and two after) for travelers to relax.

In the interim, travelers can find 20 new and updated concessions, including local favorites Mineo’s Pizza House and Cafe Conmigo of Wexford, and national brands like Shake Shack.

Moving around

Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal and front bridge are separated into three levels that are connected by elevators and escalators so travelers can move between levels, airport officials said.

New express elevators will go from the ground floor to the second floor. Sounds of Pittsburgh will echo throughout the space — from the roar of Steelers fans to the calming notes of the Pittsburgh Symphony.

For travelers whose flights are delayed or canceled, the new terminal has sensory rooms, nursing stations, and baby and adult changing tables.

When walking to catch flights, the new terminal Skybridge — rather than the train — connects the security checkpoint to the airside terminal. The airport said it features lighting that mimics a Pittsburgh street and the region’s natural landscape.

After landing at Pittsburgh International Airport, baggage delivery times at the new terminal are expected to be cut in half, the airport said. This is because the new terminal cuts the eight miles of bag belt down to three miles and upgrades to a more efficient, state-of-the-art system.

The terminal’s upgraded baggage system is so quiet that operators no longer need hearing protection, said Christina Cassotis, CEO of the Allegheny County Airport Authority.

By the numbers

• The new terminal has been in the works since 2019, and it was part of a $1.7 billion modernization project, which was hundreds of millions more than initially planned. No taxpayer money was used in the project.

• The airport is the first to be built in the U.S. post-pandemic. It’s also the first major renovation at the Pittsburgh airport since 1992. It replaced Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, which had been the region’s airport since 1952.
• Several months of testing went into the new terminal, including two public trials that involved more than 2,000 participants who shared feedback on their experience.
• There will be an estimated $20 million in annual operational savings, TribLive previously reported, according to Paul Hoback, executive vice president and chief development officer for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, though staffing levels are expected to remain close to current levels.
• The terminal project has created 14,300 jobs and resulted in $2.5 billion in economic activity and more than a billion dollars in direct labor income, according to Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato.
• More than 90% of labor and supplies were locally sourced. That includes 16,000 tons of structural steel that were fabricated locally, Pittsburgh International Airport said.
• Joe Rotterdam, director of air service development for the airport, said between 20,000 and 25,000 passengers are expected to use the terminal Tuesday.

Overall, the new terminal could help improve Pittsburgh’s rankings in traveler satisfaction, according to Mike Taylor, senior managing director of travel intelligence at J.D. Power.

The airport ranked 13th for medium-sized airports in this year’s North America Airport Satisfaction Study, just ahead of the new terminal’s unveiling.

Flight reductions ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration at 40 airports — but not including Pittsburgh’s — this month had ripple effects locally.

Disruptions at the airport peaked over the weekend of Nov. 8 to Nov. 9, as about 10% of the 300 daily flights were canceled because of the federal restrictions and many more were delayed, according to Bob Kerlik, an airport spokesman.

However, Pittsburgh International Airport said it expects flight cancellations and delays caused by the government shutdown, which ended last week, to taper off in time for the new terminal’s opening Tuesday.