THE NEW TERMINAL AT PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS 90% COMPLETE. THIS IS PART OF THE ARRIVALS AREA. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

Sean Doyle, British Airways chairman and CEO, got his first look at Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal on Tuesday, and its architecture and design made an immediate impression.

“This is like walking into somewhere in the Gulf, whether it’s Abu Dhabi or Dubai, and it’s a vision of the future, but it’s also a lovely expression of the heritage of Pennsylvania,” he told about 250 leaders in aviation, robotics and technology attending the new terminal’s first event — the Future Travel Experience World Innovation Summit.

With the $1.7 billion terminal 90% complete, officials were able to clear out scaffolding in part of the arrivals area for the first night of the three-day conference that moves to Carnegie Mellon University for its final two days.

Airport officials are still mum on the terminal’s actual opening date in the fall, but they’re so confident it will be ready that they’ve scheduled a celebration gala at the new terminal for Oct. 3.

Construction is on track for “substantial completion” on June 30, which kicks off the next phase to obtain certain operating permits and to test, and test and test the airport with all sorts of experts and volunteers to get rid of all the glitches before opening day.

Paul Hoback, chief development officer and executive vice president of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, told folks on a media tour Tuesday that they plan to recruit hundreds of people three or four weeks before opening day to run trials through the airport to make sure everything is working and is accessible. “We want them to break the system… so we can get all the kinks out,” he said.

When the new terminal opens, it will actually be just 92% to 93% complete. The four outside terraces — two before the security lanes and two on the other side — will still have some landscaping work to be done and some of the escalators that serve the current Airside Terminal will be shut off and removed.

The new terminal replaces the 33-year-old current Landside Terminal, which was designed to be a hub for USAirways when it opened in 1992. That was when 80% of travelers were here to just switch planes. At its peak in the mid-’90s, the airport served 21 million passengers a year. The airport lost the hub in 2004; now about 10 million are using the airport each year and only 2% of travelers are switching planes.

“We’re moving the Landside functions to the Airside, really making it one building,” Hoback said. The tram that connected both terminals will be gone. Also gone will be the $25 million the airport spent each year to operate and maintain the tram, he said.

EIGHT OF THE NEW HIGH-TECH SCANNING MACHINES ARE IN PLACE WHERE THERE WILL BE 12 SECURITY LANES. PASSENGERS WILL NOT NEED TO REMOVE THEIR LIQUIDS OR ELECTRONICS LIKE LAPTOPS IN THE NEW SECURITY LANES. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

During the media tour, airport officials provided some new details about the terminal:

• That beautiful vaulted wood ceiling you see — it’s actually metal. While developers intended to use natural wood as a way of incorporating nature into the design, further research showed there would be high maintenance costs and possible warping of the boards. The metal wood panels look so real that some experts could not tell the difference between the metal or wood panels, Hoback said.
• Say goodbye to the Dino. The huge skeleton cast of the T-Rex, which welcomed travelers heading up the escalator to the Airside Terminal, is being reimagined. Airport officials said there is no place in the new terminal for the T-Rex skeleton, which has been on loan from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History for about 20 years. They are working with museum officials to see if they can come up with something new.
• There will be 12 high-tech security lines — all in the same area — that will handle TSA PreCheck, Clear and other passengers. The airport no longer plans to designate one lane just for families or those with mobility issues who may need some extra time. With the new technology, travelers will not need to remove their electronic devices (laptops, etc.) or liquids from their bags. Hoback said they have estimated the peak waiting time to be 30 minutes with the new security lines.
• Rainwater will be collected into underground tanks that will provide water for the landscaping in the four outdoor terraces, said Chad Willis, vice president of planning, environmental and sustainability.

At the FTE summit, Christina Cassotis, CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport, and Doyle, the British Airways head, talked about innovation and the importance of customer care. She asked him what he thought of Pittsburgh. While he acknowledged he had only seen the airport, he said:

“Just hearing about the innovation and the reinvention of Pittsburgh, there’s a huge amount to be proud of, and I don’t think we hear enough about it….what’s going on here is a bit of magic.”