Pittsburgh International Airport is a trailblazer in sustainability. This year, the airport won the 2024 Jay Hollingsworth Speas Airport Award for Environmental Innovation for its microgrid project. The microgrid fuels the airport with natural gas and solar energy, and has earnt the airport a growing collection of industry awards since it went live in 2021.

At World Aviation Festival, Christina Cassotis, the CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport joined for a brief conversation on next steps for the airport’s sustainability journey. Last year, Cassotis highlighted the importance of “leveraging innovation to earn the industry its right to grow.” Reflecting on the year since, Cassotis highlighted several bold steps the airport has taken to advance sustainability. These include three pathways to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production onsite: alcohol-to-jet fuel, hydrothermal liquefaction (which uses fats, oils, and greases), and capturing fugitive methane.

Watch the interview at World Aviation Festival.

Originally published: October 24,2024