Airport Experience® News - Leadership Issue 2025

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DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR MEDIUM-HUB AIRPORTS

was then CEO of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Tom Kinton, the former CEO of Massport who was Cassotis’ first boss in the industry. “Those guys were critical for me,” Cassotis recalls. “I met with them before I started, and every month after, for about 18 months. We’d have dinner in the evening. and then the next morning they’d come to my office for four hours, and I would ask questions: How should I think about this? Or, here’s my instinct, what’s your experience? “What I really appreciated about working with them was, A, they were consistent, and B, they weren’t PowerPoints,” Cassotis adds. “It was sitting in a room and saying ‘here’s what I’m facing. Let’s talk about how you’ve done it, what you’ve seen.’ They were just incredibly generous and helpful with their time.” Later, that same group would become instrumental in allowing Cassotis to hone her vision for the new terminal that opened in November. Jarvis shares that the group supported Cassotis on pivoting away from a refresh of the then-current terminal and toward a greenfield terminal project that would become the stage for PIT’s reinvention. “We spent about six months investigating if it was feasible or not - financially, [in terms of] construction, and whether or not the airlines would buy into it,” Jarvis recalls. “Then we went to the airlines and said a new facility is going to offer significant efficiencies to the airlines. And they all understood. They knew the existing terminal wasn’t set up for O&D.” Jarvis adds that Cassotis is “a very determined and a very smart lady and she used all her skills – she’s great at public relations and very good at political engineering.” Kinton agrees and adds that “She’s not afraid to ask for advice, and she executes on that advice. “She’s got a style and the adaptability, to talk to the troops and get them to buy in,” Kinton says, “because you need the buy in of everybody when you do something like this.” Cassotis says she’s thrilled with the new terminal for its efficiencies and cutting edge technology integration, but also because of its representation of the city. “It really feels like you’re somewhere special, because we were so intentional

about reflecting and serving the region and the industry,” she says. “In the design we’ve got a rolling roof, and that represents the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania. “The light that allows for is the most energy efficient light ever – that’s natural light – and it goes all the way down into baggage claim. The steel was manufactured across the river. Pittsburgh is a steel city and it’s our steel. The paint on the columns comes from PPG Paint. PPG is a Pittsburgh based company. “The terminal is a nice tribute to what makes this community so special, and it works better,” she continues. “It works better because baggage gets to baggage claim faster, because there’s a place for meeters and greeters, because staff is going to work in a much more efficient space, and passengers are going to be able to find their way easier.” Bryan Dietz, senior vice president of air service and commercial development for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, says Cassotis led the team in shifting the thought processes around change and innovation. “What Christina did is brought to us a performance culture that we had in certain pockets,” he says. “She helped us to have the confidence of thinking big and thinking differently. It’s okay to question something and it’s okay to take risks, it’s okay to fail. That was not baked into our DNA before Christina got here.”

Above: One big goal remaining for Cassotis at PIT is to finish an on-site aviation fuel plant that would allow for sustainable aviation fuel production and distribution at the airport. (Photo by Laura Petrilla)

The Concessions Approach Cassotis has also led a shift in how concessions are operated at PIT. The airport was considered cutting edge back in the early 1990s when it partnered with BAA USA on a 15-year contract to create an “airmall,” complete with a then-unheard-of number of national restaurant and retail brands. The airport was one of the first to institute a street pricing policy as well. BAA USA evolved into AirMall USA, which was later purchased by Fraport Group. Fraport USA worked as a developer for PIT concessions until 2023, when the airport severed the relationship after a legal battle. Now, concessions are operated by the airport, and Cassotis is bullish on the program. “With food and beverage and retail, we’re up 77% in revenue” she says, noting that the growth came before the new terminal opening. “We have figured out how to take care of our passengers, those arriving, those departing, those who are meeters and greeters. “We have 20 new concessionaires that have been brought into the airport, both airside and land side,” she adds. “Based

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AX NEWS DECEMBER 2025 / JANUARY 2026