Pittsburgh Patrika January 2022

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 2, January 2022
The Quarterly Magazine (Jan, Apr, Jul, and Oct) for the Indian Diaspora
Vol. 27 No. 2 January 2022
Phone/Fax: (724) 327 0953 e-mail: ThePatrika@aol.com
Pittsburgh Airport Breaks Ground for
$1.4 Billion New Airport Terminal
By Kollengode S Venkataraman
The Pittsburgh International Airport, owned and managed by the Allegheny
County Airport Authority (ACAA), is getting a much-needed
modernization. On Thursday October 14, 2021, ACAA formally broke
ground at the construction site for a new terminal. County Executive Rich
Fitzgerald, the ACAA’s CEO Christina Cassotis,
its chairman David Minnotte, and Pittsburgh’s
Mayor Bill Peduto, among others,
addressed a gathering of over 300 people -- the
region’s elected officials, business and labor
leaders, contractors, and invited guests.
One point in Fitzgerald’s speech was
encouraging: after losing population for the
last six decades, Allegheny County’s population
increased in the 2020 census. It is now
1,250,000, up by 2.2% (or 27,000), compared
Mr. Rich Fitzgerald, County
Executive, Allegheny County,
addressing the gathering.
to the 2010 census. And the county population
is more diverse (24% in 2020 compared
to 18% in 2010), and younger, the features
recognized as catalysts for growth.
The current layout of Land- and Air-side Terminals with 75 gates in
four concourses, and a 0.5 mile-long connecting train, is too unwieldy,
too old (opened in 1992) and too costly for upkeep for the 170-plus daily
flights today. At its peak two decades ago, the airport handled nearly 700
daily flights with 20 million passengers/year passing through its gates.
The new terminal will meet its current and future needs; will reduce
operating costs and carbon footprints; will give better ambience for departing
passengers from check-in, security through boarding; and for arriving
passengers from landing, baggage claim through leaving the airport.
How we ended up with 75 gates in four concourses: In the 1980s,
with US Airways’ hub expanding at the Pittsburgh airport, the number
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