Pgh. International leader strives to inject Pittsburgh flavor into airport

At the San Francisco airport, travelers can practice yoga in a mirror-walled room. Vancouver has a ceiling-height aquarium stocked with native species; Nashville, a Gibson guitar-themed cafe.

New Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis aims to discover what could make Pittsburgh International pop with Steel City pride.

“I would like to see that Pittsburgh is at the airport,” she said. “I would like to see more excitement at the airport, and more representation of Pittsburgh, of the arts community, of the foundations, of the things that make this city so great. I'd like you to feel it.”

Cassotis, who became CEO this year, is charged with increasing direct flights to and from Pittsburgh with domestic and international markets. Part of her strategy is sprucing up the 23-year-old facility's interior and visitor experience.

No longer a hub, the airport was built to serve 20 million passengers annually; now, it gets about 8 million.

“The question is, if we're going to be rehabbing this facility for the next 20 years, what should it be?” Cassotis said. “And how do we bring in Pittsburgh, and how do we make sure we're meeting the needs of the community?”

Airport executives are building a master plan, examining potential capital projects and gate usage. They will begin focus groups and surveys with travelers, businesses and airport employees on services or amenities they might want.

Bijan Vasigh, professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and former professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, said airports increasingly have catered to passengers as consumers during the past 10 to 15 years.

“If you are at the airport for two hours, you don't have any choice but to spend your time wisely. Sit at a beautiful restaurant, or if you forgot to buy a gift for your wife or husband, buy the merchandise,” he said. “The airports recognize that; they can make more money from their passengers.”

Pittsburgh's Airmall last year opened high-end stores including Furla, Armani and Pinko. A $4 million floor renovation project under way is designed to help smooth the area for rolling suitcases, which clacked along tiles.

Cassotis said she'd like for more of Pittsburgh to be reflected in food and beverage offerings. She's interested in improving the landside terminal for those dropping off passengers, awaiting arrivals or returning to town.

Cassotis brings about two decades of experience as an airport consultant and constant traveler. She likes the idea of shopping carts, such as those in Hong Kong, so travelers can tote carry-ons while shopping in the concourse. She's a fan of electricity — terminals should be stocked with charging stations with easy access so travelers aren't stuck sitting on the floor near an outlet.

Brian Kennedy, vice president for operations and strategic programs at Pittsburgh Technology Council, has done that in the international terminal that has no charging stations. “There's plenty of places to sit on the floor and charge your phone,” he said, “but that's not how we want to be treating our international traveler.”

A better airport experience could aid Pittsburgh entrepreneurs, he said. Visiting venture capitalists often complain about the lack of direct flights.

“Once they invest in a company, they're going to come here at least once, twice, three or four times a year for board meetings,” he said. “You don't want that to feel like a major obstacle to keeping a company here in Pittsburgh.”

Cassotis hopes to secure direct flights to San Diego and Seattle, seasonally or year-round, but such agreements hinge on factors outside Pittsburgh's control, she said, such as whether the carrier foresees a profit and whether the destination city has an interest in Pittsburgh.

She hopes to expand international flights beyond the seasonal Paris and Caribbean flights. The first step includes making arriving more welcoming; the terminal's layout forces deplaning international passengers to re-screen through the Transportation Security Administration.

“As opposed to Pittsburgh just going out into the world, I'd like to see the world coming into Pittsburgh.”

Melissa Daniels is a Trib Total Media staff writer. Reach her at 412-380-8511 or mdaniels@tribweb.com.