by Audrey Russo, President and CEO, Pittsburgh Technology Council
When Christina Cassotis first addressed the Tech Council at a breakfast briefing a decade ago, she delivered a truth that many weren’t ready to hear: Pittsburgh would never be a hub airport again. (There were murmurs and gasps at every table.) That moment of clarity marked the beginning of a remarkable journey—one that would transform Pittsburgh International Airport from a fading hub into something far more valuable: the region’s gateway to global innovation. The region’s front door.
Cassotis brought a surgical precision to her vision. Rather than chasing the impossible dream of recreating the past, she focused on positioning Pittsburgh as a destination in its own right—a front door to a region reinventing itself from steel to deep tech, from industrial powerhouse to innovation ecosystem.
What makes Cassotis’s leadership truly exceptional is her understanding that an airport can be more than just infrastructure—it can be a catalyst for innovation. Under her guidance, Pittsburgh International became a sandbox for emerging technologies, offering tech companies rare access to a complex, secure, high-traffic environment to test and refine their solutions. This approach didn’t just benefit the companies; it ensured the airport itself stayed on the cutting edge, implementing technologies that improved efficiency, passenger experience and sustainability.
The Tech Council recognized this vision immediately and formed a natural partnership. We understood that while the airport serves as the region’s front door, we needed to collectively build what I refer to as “the back and even more important part of the house”—which breeds a thriving innovation ecosystem filled with new companies, strategic investments in existing enterprises, and opportunities for high-scale growth across our regional assets.
During her decade of leadership, Cassotis has championed East Coast / West Coast and international connectivity not as a luxury but as an economic necessity. Direct flights to London, Iceland, and other international destinations haven’t just made travel more convenient—they’ve positioned Pittsburgh as a participant in the global economy. These connections have facilitated international business relationships, attracted foreign investment, and allowed our innovation ecosystem to engage with global markets. Sure, we have had hiccups and experiments over the years, but the vision remains unwavering.
Cassotis’s most defining characteristic may be her rare combination of candor and execution. She speaks plainly about challenges and opportunities, then delivers results with remarkable consistency. When faced with aging infrastructure, she didn’t hesitate to advocate for a complete rebuild. As she often points out, most airports have a functional shelf life of just 20 years before technology and passenger expectations leave them behind. Under her leadership, Pittsburgh chose investment in the future over acceptance of decline.
As we mark her tenth anniversary leading Pittsburgh International Airport, we celebrate not just infrastructure improvements or new flight destinations, but a fundamental transformation in how our region connects to the world. Cassotis has helped Pittsburgh understand that in today’s innovation economy, global connectivity is not optional—it’s essential. We know she does not do this work alone; she is braced with a strong team and board who advocate for investment at every level of government and our community. She has held steadfast to the objective.
The airport rising from the ashes of its hub days has become something more valuable: a symbol of Pittsburgh’s reinvention and a critical component of our innovation infrastructure. For the tech community, Christina Cassotis hasn’t just been an airport CEO; she’s been a visionary partner in building the next chapter of Pittsburgh’s story. Raise your coffee mugs or whatever you want to fill, with a toast to the future.