For many, the airport experience has gotten worse in recent times, but travelers in Western Pennsylvania are getting an upgrade. Designed in 1992 as a hub for US Airways, Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is set to unveil one of the most innovative and passenger-friendly experiences in the country. Over the last 30 years, the function of Pittsburgh’s airport has changed drastically, and instead of being a hub for connections, more passengers are starting and ending their trips there. According to the airport’s publication Blue Sky News, the airport broke a record in 2024 with nearly 10 million travelers flying round-trip.
While some airports have already begun phasing out the most annoying parts of airport security checks, PIT’s modernization makeover goes even further by adding smart scanners that eradicate the need to take off shoes, take out laptops, and empty water bottles. Passengers traveling through PIT will have access to 62 nonstop destinations with 15 airlines, and the new streamlined security checkpoints with 12 security lanes will help minimize the chaos while speeding up the TSA security process. To navigate departures and arrivals, passengers currently have to take a tram between the landside and airside buildings. The new terminal will allow travelers to just take a short walk through a tunnel inspired by the city’s Fort Pitt Bridge, which opens up into a great hall. PIT has enhanced and revitalized the concessions as well, with a mix of local and national brands, shops, and restaurants like Penn Brewery and Shake Shack.
Read more at Islands.
Originally published: August 16, 2025
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