Pittsburgh International Airport To Raise Parking Fees

The Allegheny County Airport Authority is raising parking rates at Pittsburgh International Airport starting March 1st in an attempt to limit fee increases for the airlines operating out of the airport. The parking rate increases are for extended term parking and full day short term parking only. Extended term rates will jump to $8 a day from $6.75 and the full day short term rates will be raised $1 to $21 a day.

The rate increases are a result of a loss of parking revenue resulting from the loss of U.S. Airways flights. If the airport were to maintain the current parking rates they would have to increase fees to the airlines which are already higher than the national average. The airline fees are high in Pittsburgh International Airport because their debt service payments have remained the same while at the same time the airport has lost millions of passengers a year. The airport is capable of servicing 30 million people annually but is only handling 9 million passengers a year. A large part of the loss of passengers is the result of U.S. Airways cutting flights into and out of the airport.

Airport Authority spokeswoman JoAnn Jenny said the airport is not worried about losing even more revenue because of the increase because historically the privately owned parking lots around the airport have increased their rates when the airport has. She also is not worried because the airport is still keeping the 1$ rate for people parking for an hour or less when picking up or dropping of passengers.