A guide to the new Pittsburgh International Airport
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The new terminal doubles the amount of security gates compared to the old terminal. Photo: Ryan Deto/Axios
The last tram will roll out of PIT's old landside terminal early Tuesday morning — marking the first day the airport's new $1.7 billion terminal is open to travelers.
Why it matters: The new 811,000-square-foot building is a glow-up compared to the 33-year-old former terminal and officials promise a more modern and efficient travel experience.
Between the lines: Security lines should move faster, airport officials say.
- The new terminal has 12 security gates, about twice as many as before, with automatic bin return technology expected to speed up the process.
- The security gates are now on the same level as check-in.
- The alternate checkpoint has been eliminated.
The new terminal has three levels:
- The top is for departures and check-in.
- The middle is for arrivals and baggage claim.
- The bottom is for taxis, ride-share, car rentals and public transit.
State of play: The tram is gone. Passengers now walk just 140 feet across a pedestrian tunnel after they clear security, rendering the underground, half-mile tram obsolete.
- After crossing the short bridge, just take the escalators down into the main hall of the airside terminal and enjoy the new and improved concessions.
The big picture: A new 3,300-space parking garage and nearby surface lot — both about a five-minute walk away — add more than 6,000 spaces.
- The airport's former long-term and economy lots are consolidated into an 8,000-space shuttle lot, served by an upgraded 10-minute shuttle. Passengers will no longer be able to walk from this lot to the terminal.
- Each lot has daily, hourly and incremental rates. For example, 30 minutes in the terminal garage is $6 and 30 minutes in the terminal lot is $4. After four hours, the daily rate will apply.
- People meeting passengers inside the terminal should park in the terminal garage or lot, per airport officials.
- Find full parking details, with hourly and daily rates, at PARKatPIT.com.
Zoom in: Luggage will only travel 3 miles from planes to baggage claim now, down from 8 miles at the old terminal. That means bags will arrive at the eight new and larger carousels quicker than before, officials said.
Zoom out: Drivers will keep using the same I-376 exits and entrances, now linking directly to the new airport road with updated signs for arrivals, departures and parking.
- There's now a free waiting lot at the southern edge of the shuttle lot where visitors can park for up to an hour while waiting for arriving passengers.
Fun fact: The Franco Harris statue, popular for selfies, is now on the arrivals level in the new terminal, said officials, but visitors will have to head to the Heinz History Center to see the George Washington and Nellie Bly statues.
- On the arrivals level, friends and family can meet arriving passengers at the "Welcome Point," a central hub with seating, concessions and future access to outdoor terraces.
What's next: The old terminal roads will be closed and barricaded around 2:30am Tuesday, but shuttles and the moving sidewalk will continue temporarily for passengers who parked in old lots before the new terminal opened.
- The moving sidewalk will also run indefinitely between the parking lot and the Hyatt Hotel entrance to maintain access.
The bottom line: The new terminal itself won't guarantee more flights, officials told Axios last month, but they are hopeful airlines will now be more interested in investing in the region.