CHRISTINA CASSOTIS, CEO OF THE ALLEGHENY AIRPORT AUTHORITY. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

With the new $1.57 billion terminal now 80% complete, Pittsburgh International Airport officials are looking to open in early fall.

Airport officials will announce the date six months before the official opening.

“We’ll open when the time is right, and when we’re ready,” said Paul Hoback, chief development officer and executive vice president of the Allegheny County Airport Authority. He noted it won’t be during the busy summer travel months or as we get close to Thanksgiving.

PAUL HOBACK, CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY, IN THE FRONT OF THE DEPARTURES AREA. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

He led a media tour with other airport officials to provide updates on Thursday, when 1,200 workers were onsite. Although the interior of the landside terminal was filled with scaffolding and equipment, visitors could see details taking shape.

Among the most impressive was the constellation lighting embedded in the wooden ceiling of the departures area. Not only is the lighting decorative, it will serve as a wayfinding tool to guide travelers to the airside terminal.

THE CONSTELLATION LIGHTING ON THE CEILING OF THE DEPARTURES AREA. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

The 140-foot bridge and tunnel that connects the landside and airside terminals – which is designed to mirror the Fort Pitt Tunnel and its entrance to the Golden Triangle — also is coming along. The entrance from the departures area to the airside terminal will be surrounded by a “wall of technology” — huge video screens that will provide announcements, wayfinding or just beautiful videos.

THE ENTRANCE TO THE TUNNEL. WHEN FINISHED IT WILL BE SURROUNDED BY A “WALL OF TECHNOLOGY” WITH VIDEO SCREENS. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

The new — but much smaller — terminal will replace the outdated current landside terminal, which was designed to be a hub for US Airways when it opened in 1992. That was when only 20% of travelers originated and came back to Pittsburgh rather than connecting to other cities. Now, 95% of travelers are origin-destination passengers and 5% are connecting, he said.

“We’re right-sizing and modernizing,” Hoback said, adding that the current terminal was built before cell phones, so the new space will be filled with charging areas to accommodate modern living.

In addition there will be 12 high-tech Transportation Security Administration checkpoints (you won’t need to remove your laptops or Zip-loc bags of liquids any more) that will eliminate the long lines that sometimes stretch all the way back to the Hyatt Regency hotel entrance, Hoback said.

Not only will the new terminal better accommodate travelers, it also will be more work-friendly for employees. For example, they plan to have 41 robots that will take bags that have been flagged because of suspicious contents and place them on a platform for TSA agents so they don’t have to lift sometimes 50-pound bags.

Christina Cassotis, CEO of authority, who joined part of the tour, also highlighted the large meet-and-greet area being developed at the arrivals area for friends and relatives.

“It represents sort of the community,” she said. “Pittsburgh is a place where people pick up and drop off their loved ones, which I find lovely.”

Hoback said construction is on schedule and that officials expect this new terminal will last 30 to 40 years. The current one is 32 years old.

Among some of the tidbits of information revealed on the tour:

• All wayfinding signs throughout the airport will be in black and gold.
• There will be a designated cell phone lot, eliminating the current complicated parking system for those waiting to pick up passengers.
• Three months before the opening, the airport will be recruiting 1,000 members of the public to test all aspects of the new terminal and technology to make sure it all works and is traveler-friendly.
• The baggage track will be reduced from 8 miles to 3 miles, dramatically cutting the time bags arrive at baggage claim carousels.
• All the airside restrooms are being renovated and will include adult changing tables, family room and nursing rooms.