Pittsburgh International Airport now boasts one of the most beautiful airports in the USA, and after finally traveling through it myself, I came away very impressed. The old airport was still perfectly functional, but the new terminal is brighter, simpler, and reflective of the renaissance Pittsburgh itself has embarked on in the post-steel era.
The Beautiful New Pittsburgh International Airport
I recently traveled through Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) for the first time since its new landside terminal opened, and what a transformation. While I had flown into Pittsburgh earlier this year, it was my first time flying out of the new airport.
The soaring ceilings, abundant natural light, and large common areas make the terminal feel much larger and calmer than the old landside building.
Far from the rather drab and sterile experience it was before, there’s even a beautiful park outside the check-in area and outdoor common areas on both sides of security.
The airport says the architecture was designed to reflect the landscape and character of Western Pennsylvania, and I think it succeeds…for residents of Allegheny County, this is quite a treasure.
No More Train Between Landside And Airside
The biggest practical improvement is also the simplest: you no longer have to ride the underground train between the landside and airside terminals.
The old Pittsburgh airport was designed during the US Airways hub era and featured a separate landside terminal connected to the X-shaped airside concourses by an automated people mover. It worked, and I never found the train particularly burdensome, but it added another step to every journey.
The new terminal sits directly adjacent to the existing airside concourses.
Check in, clear security, cross the new Skybridge, and you are at the gates…simple.
PIT says the new layout cuts the time from curb to airside by about 50%, and international arriving passengers can reach the curb about 67% faster than before. Those are impressive numbers, but even without a stopwatch the improvement is obvious: there is only one level change between the departure curb and the gates, and the whole experience is easy.
Oh, and the concessions are improving as well. Joe & The Juice has been as staple at PIT for years and is in a new location in the central atrium…I’m always going to have a protein shake and cortado before my flight.
And yes, I also had a cheeseburger from Shake Shack, a new addition…
A $1.7 Billion Airport Transformation
The project cost approximately $1.7 billion and includes the new landside terminal, a new parking complex, redesigned roads and bridges, and renovations to portions of the existing airside terminal. The new terminal itself spans about 811,000 square feet and welcomed its first passengers in November 2025.
Why replace an airport that still worked? Because the old facility no longer matched the way Pittsburgh used its airport.
PIT was built around a huge connecting hub that disappeared when US Airways retrenched. The result was an airport with infrastructure designed for a very different era. The new terminal brings the landside functions closer to the gates and consolidates many of the functions that were spread out before.
Security is now centralized into one checkpoint with 12 screening lanes, while baggage handling has also been consolidated. The road system was rebuilt as well, with roughly four miles of new roadway and a 1,300-foot dual-level terminal bridge serving departures, arrivals, and ground transportation. There are also more than 6,000 additional public parking spaces between the new garage and surface lots, while the amount of covered parking has roughly tripled.
More than 80% of the art displayed throughout the terminal comes from local artists, and there are plans to add even more artwork.
Perhaps to better appreciate the pictures above you need to see the pictures below, which I took prior to the opening of the new terminal:
Functional? Certainly. But cleared quite an aging facility (the gate areas have not all been updated yet)…
CONCLUSION
Pittsburgh International Airport’s new $1.7 billion terminal is a tremendous upgrade.
The elimination of the train makes the airport much easier to navigate, while the soaring ceilings, natural light, public spaces, terraces, local art, and thoughtful design make the airport both functional and beautiful.
The old airport served Pittsburgh well for more than three decades, but this is better…much better.
Love it! Thank you for featuring Pittsburgh, Matthew!
Now if only Pittsburgh’s rail network actually went to the airport so you didn’t have to rely on either rideshare or a bus to get downtown…
No train anymore is nice. Admirals Club is pretty decent as well.
Hopefully the robot repair shop sticks around