Back in the day, mid-sized cities like Memphis, Kansas City and Pittsburgh were home to bustling airline hubs — crossroads of the country where millions of connecting passengers passed through each year. Those days, however, are long gone. As airlines consolidated and evolved their networks, these airports shifted from connecting points to purely origin-and-destination (O&D) gateways. In other words, they went from being major hubs facilitating connections to airports primarily serving travelers who actually live in or visit the area. That shift has forced airports to rethink their purpose and their design. Gone are the layouts optimized for quick connections and hub operations; in their place are facilities that prioritize convenience, efficiency and a sense of place for local travelers.
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is the latest airport to reinvent itself. Since 2021, a major $1.7 billion glow-up and reconfiguration has been underway. The opening of the Terminal Modernization Program (TMP) is just weeks away — before the Thanksgiving holiday, as TPG first reported — and in advance of the opening, I traveled to Pittsburgh with TPG’s Ben Mutzabaugh to get a sneak peek of what flyers can soon expect.
Read more at The Points Guy.
Originally published: October 18, 2025
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