Case Studies

The case studies available here tell the stories of Allegheny County Airport Authority (ACAA)’s most impactful projects. ACAA, which operates both Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) and Allegheny County Airport (AGC), goes above and beyond what is expected of an airport. Its goal is to serve as an economic engine and catalyst for change in the Pittsburgh region as well as the aviation industry as a whole. This has resulted in strategic innovations that span infrastructure, workforce development, energy, and culture, among others.

These cases take you through ACAA’s strategic innovations from ideation to completion and plans for the future, including learnings from key players. Major wins are addressed along with challenges faced and how they were overcome for a successful end result. The purpose of these studies is to inspire other organizations to implement similar projects in their own industries, and to show how it can be done based on ACAA’s learnings.

Pittsburgh International Airport: Travelers’ Sensory Room Advances Inclusive Design & Creates Blueprint for Accessible Spaces Worldwide

Inspired by a visit to Air Berlin’s offices, PIT CEO Christina Cassotis installed CEO mailboxes all around the airport campus in 2017 to better communicate with employees. Shortly after, a team member with an autistic son submitted an idea to build a private space at the airport for those with sensory sensitivities to get acclimated before or after flights, which can be stressful events for them. Upon reading the letter, Christina immediately knew she had to explore this and sprung in action, assembling cross-functional teams who took on the challenge of funding, designing, and building this inclusive space. The end result is beneficial for the community, but the project ended up being a development opportunity for the team that built it as well.

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Pittsburgh International Airport Microgrid: Setting the Standard for Resilient Power in the Aviation Industry

It all started with an 11-hour blackout at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, followed by another blackout at Los Angeles international Airport a few months later. It became clear that when an airport loses power, its devastating effects ripple far beyond a few canceled flights. CEO Christina Cassotis was determined to avoid this at Pittsburgh International Airport by making it one of the most resilient airports in the world. She had an idea to build a microgrid – a smaller power grid, separate from the main power utility that is powered by natural gas and solar energy. However, not only did it have to be more resilient, but also more sustainable and more cost effective in order to be practical. Through a successful public private partnership, PIT is now the only airport in the U.S. to be powered completely by its own microgrid.

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