Share these talks and lectures with your colleagues
Invite colleaguesPractice paper
Unlocking a dynamic future: How airport leaders can innovate to ensure relevance for decades to come
Journal of Airport Management,
18
(4),
326-343
(2024)
Abstract
This paper describes how elevating your airport’s ability to be relevant for the forecast period and beyond requires more focus than master planning may suggest. The paper stresses the importance of stakeholder identification and communications as a key pathway to relevant innovation, which is desperately needed to ensure support for an industry the world needs. Based on successful and iterative practices used by the leadership team at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) over the last nine years, this paper includes practical techniques for creating a more secure future for airports, the aviation industry and any business looking to create impact and ensure future relevance.
Keywords: innovation; relevance; stakeholders; communications; master planning; Pittsburgh International Airport; airport construction; airport operations
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Christina A. Cassotis is Chief Executive Officer of the Allegheny County Airport Authority (ACAA), which operates Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) and a smaller general aviation facility, a role she has held since 2015. She has overseen a dramatic turnaround at PIT, where passenger traffic has increased 22.5 per cent and the number of airlines and nonstop destinations has nearly doubled under her leadership. PIT is currently building a new landside terminal, new roadway system and multimodal complex, scheduled to open in 2025. Prior to joining ACAA, Christina held several roles at aviation consultancy ICF SH&E over 16 years, advising an international clientele base on infrastructure advisory and due diligence, airport competitiveness related to air service, non-aeronautical revenue development, and safety/security reviews. She has also held several roles at Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates Boston Logan International Airport. She holds degrees from the University of Massachusetts (BA English) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management (MBA). She serves on the boards of S&T Bancorp and the U.S. Travel Association.
