Opened along with the new airport in 1992, AirMall in Pittsburgh was the largest airport shopping complex in the United States. The current mall, now under Fraport management, is located within the airport's airside terminal, mostly in the "Center Core" area, with some shops and restaurants extending into the concourses. Prior to
9/11, and the opening of
The Mall at Robinson, the Airmall served as a shopping destination for residents of the western suburbs of
Pittsburgh. Because the mall is located beyond the security checkpoint, where only ticketed passengers and authorized personnel had been permitted for more than a decade after 9/11, and the reduction of the use of Pittsburgh International as a
US Airways hub, sales have decreased in recent years. On April 13, 2007, it was announced that guests staying at the attached airport
Hyatt hotel would be able to obtain passes to shop during their stay. Even with sales being down due to US Airways cutbacks and the
Great Recession, the AirMall in Pittsburgh still accounted for the highest per passenger spending of any airport in the country, at an average of $13.60/passenger. In 2017, Pittsburgh International became the first US commercial airport to allow the general public access to the area beyond the checkpoint. Visitors must first sign up for the "myPITpass" program on the airport's website; following approval, they must still pass the same security checks required of ticketed passengers. The
Association of Professional Flight Attendants condemned the move. The airport authority cited lax safety standards by Fraport for pulling the lease; Fraport denied this. As of May 2023, The Allegheny County Airport authority appeals ruling ordering the return of evicted AirMall operator. ==References==