The old airport was a difficult place to taxi with gates very close together and with hallways that were very narrow and escalators that could barely carry one person.

The new facility was an excellent field. Good approaches and good controllers working the place. Also when they got the de-ice pads, it was a smooth operation, something PHL has never achieved and most likely never will.

I went into KPIT last year in my Swift and realized they had moved the FBO. I parked my old bird between a BBJ and a G-V.... bought 10gal of avgas, used the FBO crew car for my appointment and was in/out in less than 3hrs. It was more convenient that KAGC and quicker too. But the Swift definitely looked very much out of place.

Speaking as one who is based at the 'Burg, from a 121 pilots view it is the most user friendly, stress free airport to operate from (at the moment).

I can't remember the last time I was number two in line for take off. It almost makes 121 flying fun to land on 28L, roll to whiskey, cross the center, contact ramp on the otherside all from a 10 mile final.

The County bone heads did lower the user fees but way too late in my opinion.

SF

Exactly! The pushed USAir and they called their bluff and left. I do miss the hot wings at Quaker State and Lube up there...always good to kill a few hours. Makes me wonder how the 35 chinese restaurants are doing now??

The airport was rebuilt for USAir back in the early 90s. The leveled a mountain, filled in a valley, build a new runway, extended another, and built a brand new terminal complex. A major project that cost a lot of money. Problem is it had to be paid for. When the going got tough, Airways bailed leaving the county to pay for the now barren terminal.

As a result of this, I doubt you will see any major airport rennovations in the future being done to appease a hometown airline.

Actually the fees have never been higher. They were (too) high in the US Airways days, causing them to pull out. About 6 months ago, the tools running the airport increased fees an additional 50% to try to make up for the lost US Airways revenue! That lasted about 2 months (after severe pressure from the airlines remaining), so the county reduced those increases by about 35%.

But the fees at PIT are still about 15% higher than they were a year ago, and Southwest - whom previously has said they wanted to expand at PIT - isn't.

Speaking of ramp control, the fact that the airport still has ramp control is a joke, and another example of how the County wastes money. Those ramp controllers seem pretty militant to boot - when they should be happy they still have a job.

Quote- "Speaking of ramp control, the fact that the airport still has ramp control is a joke, and another example of how the County wastes money. Those ramp controllers seem pretty militant to boot - when they should be happy they still have a job."

Agreed.
Those ramp controllers are US Airways employees as well. I think they still work off of a script of taxi instructions without looking out the window.:D

But operationally, It's the most stress free airport to fly to/from. I'm glad I'm based there.

SF

I don't think an upstart will be a player anywhere for years...which is probably OK, since the industry must raise fares and cut capacity...or we'll all be riding Amtrak to Disney World. (and sleeping in the Greyhound terminal).

was just on sunday. you have to go Pramanti Bros near the airport to get their famous sandwich. french and slaw piled on top cheese beefsteak on a sour dough with maters. awesome. they say flyers always leave campus to go there.

Big question is which airport will join PIT as desolute after the NWA/Delta merger? MEM? CVG? MSP? There is no way they can sustain five hubs in the middle of the country, and I doubt DTW and ATL are at risk.

MEM will get hit the worst, then CVG.