Jan. 21—Pumped by her work during the pandemic, the Allegheny County Airport Authority board has awarded CEO Christina Cassotis a pay increase and bonus and extended her contract two years.
Board members, in a unanimous vote Friday, boosted Ms. Cassotis' 2022 salary to $534,000 — a 23% increase over the $434,833 she had been scheduled to make.
In addition, they awarded her a performance bonus of $184,500 for her work last year. The amount is equal to 45% of her 2021 salary.
Board Chairman David Minnotte, in a statement read at the meeting, described the bonus as "well-deserved," citing much of the work Ms. Cassotis accomplished during the pandemic last year.
As CEO, Ms. Cassotis oversees Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay and Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin.
"While many others in the industry slowed down as a result of the pandemic, Christina pressed forward and exceeded our goals that are driving economic impact for the region," he said.
Accomplishments, he added, included negotiating a new seven-year lease with the airlines, one that allowed a $1.4 billion modernization at Pittsburgh International Airport to break ground.
He also cited the launch of a microgrid that generates the airport's power through natural gas and solar energy, a growing cargo industry, the work to develop the Neighborhood 91 additive manufacturing campus, and the expected return of the British Airways nonstop flight between Pittsburgh and London in June after it was suspended in March 2020 because of the pandemic.
"We also need to recognize the intense competition for talent that is underway across the country. In order to keep top people, salaries must be reflective of their work. At the same time, salaries of airport directors have risen," he said.
Besides the salary increase and bonus, the board decided to extend Ms. Cassotis' contract by two years through 2027 by making what were to be two option years permanent.
In a statement after the vote, Ms. Cassotis described the work that has been accomplished through the pandemic as a team effort.
"What we have been able to do is redefine what it means to be an airport and we're going to keep going," she said. "This is just the beginning. There is more to come."
She described as "stunning" what the authority has done during the pandemic, although passenger totals, while rebounding, still lag behind pre-COVID 2019 levels.
"We started the year without a vaccine, we didn't know where we were going, and not only did we manage our own team's safety and health, we ensured it for the traveling public and our partners," Ms. Cassotis said before reciting many of the same achievements that Mr. Minnotte listed.
"We have a lot more exciting stuff to do."
Despite the pandemic, passenger traffic, she said, increased 74.1% year over year, the airport added more than 20 routes and two airlines — Breeze and Sun Country.
However, a third, Contour, suspended operations after only two months. Since starting last summer backed by $560,000 in subsidies, Breeze has reduced some of its service.
Ms. Cassotis is by far the highest paid public employee in Allegheny County. Mr. Minnotte said her salary is "in line with what other airports nationally and internationally are paying to secure and keep top talent."
At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, one of the country's largest, CEO Sean Donohoe was recently awarded a pay increase that brought his total compensation last year to $756,000 — $527,000 base salary plus a $229,000 bonus.
Rochelle "Chellie" Cameron, CEO of the City of Philadelphia Division of Aviation, which includes Philadelphia International Airport and Northeast Philadelphia Airport, currently makes $265,000. Her salary will increase by 2% to $270,300 on Feb. 1.
Michael Boyd, a Colorado-based aviation consultant, said that Ms. Cassotis' salary is "at the high end" for airport CEOs or directors. But he didn't begrudge her the pay.
"You got someone who has a demonstrated set of skills who can run Pittsburgh International Airport. It's worth half a million a year," he said.
The airport authority's budget, including salaries, is funded mainly through rates and charges paid by the airlines. There are no county tax dollars involved.
Mark Belko: [email protected] or 412-263-1262
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