Airport News

AIRMALL USA has unveiled plans for a US$10 million (£6.15 million) upgrade of its concession programme at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) that will create a new retail core in the Center Core of the airport’s airside terminal aimed at attracting top brands.

The company will reconfigure the airside core of shops and restaurants in order to better meet the needs of passenger traffic in today’s market. When it began operations 20 years ago, PIT served a large number of passengers who had a layover. In line with this, AIRMALL established a retail core between corridors A and B, where the majority of passengers were making their transfers.

“AIRMALL’s proposal will change the face of the airside terminal by placing retail units front and centre when passengers come up the escalator and arrive at the airside terminal. Top retailers will soon be setting up shop in the space currently occupied by the Flight Information Display Screens (FIDS),” said Jay Kruisselbrink, vice president of development for AIRMALL USA. “This will put the stores squarely in the path of millions of high-value consumers every year, and that will help drive revenue for the airport authority.”

The upgrade will also add seven additional units, bringing the total number of shops, restaurants, bars and other retail establishments at PIT to 74. Once the programme is fully operational, AIRMALL expects the enhanced concessions will grow annual revenue by as much as 10-20% over current figures.

The agreement to build new concessions also comes with a contract extension for AIRMALL, which will now serve as the concessions developer at the airport until 2029. Construction on the units in the new retail core is expected to be complete by the end of 2013.