Boasting some 3,561 hectares of land, four runways and a modern terminal, Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) provides an attractive alternative for businesses compared with the other congested, capacity-constrained airports along the Atlantic seaboard.
Historically a major producer of steel in the US through much of the 19th and 20th centuries, Pittsburgh was known as the 'Steel City' until the recession of the 1970-80s led to the closure of many mills.
Since then the city has diversified its economic base and embraced new industries and services - from education and healthcare to high-tech products and research, such as the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University - and the airport has been central to the process.
Over the past 10 years PIT has reinvented itself from a fortress hub for US Airways into a thriving O&D airport serving western Pennsylvania, western Maryland, eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia.
Located within a 90-minute flight of 70% of North America's population, PIT is well suited to provide businesses with complex logistics chains with an ideal location to expand.
Pittsburgh's airport city vision began to take shape during the construction of its new Midfield Terminal in 1992.
Dubbed the "airport of the future now" , by media at the time, the building boasted a number of innovative design features, including minimal taxiing times for carriers and one of the first examples of a dedicated space for retail - the 'AIRMALL'.
Constructed in partnership with BAA, AIRMALL provided passengers with over 100 shops and restaurants with street brands and prices and the airport quickly saw a boom in its retail operations; average spending increased from $2.50 per enplaned passengers at PIT's old terminal to over $14 at Midfield by 2009.
Crucially the demolition of Pittsburgh's old terminal in 1999 freed up land for its first real estate development and since then PIT's operator, Allegheny County Airport Authority, has driven a programme of economic and airport city projects.
A diverse range of business premises have sprung up, from the cargo orientated Airside Business Park, to a commerce park used by printers and manufacturers and even the establishment of teaching facilities for Pittsburgh's Robert Morris University.
Today, with over 1,200 hectares of airport property available for development and 2,185 hectares designated as a Free Trade Zone (FTZ), Pittsburgh International Airport offers an attractive site for firms of all sizes looking to broaden their national and international business.
PIT's strong customer service ethos has been recognised by a number of awards, Conde Nast Traveler readers voted it the best airport in the US and third worldwide, while a customer satisfaction survey by JD Power & Associates ranked the gateway second in the world. Meanwhile, its concessions offering was praised as number one in the US for the quality of its restaurants by Plog Research, Inc.
The airport gained even greater international recognition in September 2009 when the city hosted the G-20 conference; as the airport became the official gateway for dignitaries visiting from around the world with 120 aircraft from attending countries being handled during this period.
As its executive director and CEO, Bradley D Penrod, sums up, a set of unique advantages has made Pittsburgh International Airport an ideal place for business.
