Like at most airports around the country, passenger traffic at Pittsburgh International Airport has been hit hard by the global COVID-19 pandemic — and “it’s getting less busy every day,” said Christina Cassotis, CEO of the Allegheny County Airport Authority.
Struggling airlines “are adjusting their schedules daily,” canceling future flights as would-be travelers stay home to wait out the crisis.
“We’re seeing some airlines cut as much as 70% out of their schedules,” Ms. Cassotis said in an interview following the airport authority’s virtual board meeting Friday. Some 20 airlines worldwide have suspended their operations entirely, she said.
Flight cuts domestically are largely scheduled to begin at the end of the month or beyond. But fewer passengers are showing up, so planes and terminals feel empty.
Air Canada has plans to slash flights systemwide by 50%, including a 30% reduction in Pittsburgh, Ms. Cassotis said. “Now, with the Canadian border closed, we expect that to be falling further.”
There have been no layoffs among the airport authority’s roughly 450 employees, but officials are looking for “smart” ways to cut costs, she said. An early retirement plan is on the table, and on Thursday, a voluntary furlough program was rolled out for workers who need to stay home temporarily for various reasons, such as taking care of school-age children. For those who sign up, “Your job will be here when you come back, and we will take care of your health care,” Ms. Cassotis said.
Anyone who is diagnosed with COVID-19 or is quarantined won’t have it counted against them. “We are taking care of their sick time so that this is not a burden or worry for them,” Ms. Cassotis said.
As for the rest of the some 6,000 people who work at the sprawling complex — such as airline, food and retail workers — she said she was unsure if anyone had been let go.
“I haven’t heard of any [layoffs], but they wouldn’t tell us,” she said.
Ms. Cassotis, herself a frequent flyer, said she is among the multitudes of people who have stopped traveling.
“Being here is the priority, and making sure we are getting through this is paramount,” she said. “Besides, where would we go?”
During the virtual board meeting, Ms. Cassotis emphasized that the airport will continue to operate throughout the pandemic. Employees are working both onsite and remotely.
“We stay open no matter what. We are part of the [nation’s] critical infrastructure,” she said. “We have two military bases here and quite a bit of property to maintain in addition to the physical facilities.
“We are prepared to weather this for as long as it takes.”
Up-to-date flight information for Pittsburgh International Airport is available at flypittsburgh.com.
Patricia Sabatini: PSabatini@post-gazette.com; 412-263-3066.
Updated at 5:37 p.m., March 20, 2020.
First Published: March 20, 2020, 9:31 p.m.