An airport that is a popular departure and arrival point for many Valley travelers is reporting a record number of passengers in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and reaching its highest yearly total in nearly two decades.

Pittsburgh International Airport served 9.95 million passengers last year, a 5.1% increase from 2023 and surpassing the 9.8 million passengers who traveled through PIT in 2019, according to data released by the Allegheny County Airport Authority.

This marks a significant milestone for PIT, which had previously relied heavily on connecting traffic as a major US Airways hub. In 2024, a record 9.7 million travelers originated and terminated their trips in Pittsburgh, solidifying the airport's position as a strong origin-and-destination airport.

The growth is attributed to diversified air service, with increased competition from various carriers, including Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines. Ultra-low-cost carriers like Allegiant Air, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and Sun Country Airlines also contributed significantly to the passenger increase.

Several new routes were added in 2024, including Breeze Airways and Southwest Airlines launching service to San Diego, Frontier Airlines starting service to Philadelphia, and Delta Air Lines resuming service to Salt Lake City.

In 2025, American Airlines will begin daily nonstop service to Los Angeles, JetBlue will return to New York-JFK, and Southwest Airlines will resume flights to Miami. Breeze Airways will also expand service to several destinations.

International traffic also saw significant growth, with over 195,000 international passengers traveling through PIT in 2024, a 30% increase from 2023. This growth was driven by Icelandair's seasonal service to Reykjavik and British Airways' continued growth on its London Heathrow route.