AirMall USA is a developer and manager of retail, food and beverage concessions at various US airports. Originally owned by BAA USA, (then a subsidiary of BAA plc.) and now owned by the New york based investment company Prospect Capital Corporation.

Its first AirMall at the Pittsburgh International Airport

Pittsburgh International Airport

Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...

 in 1992. Today the company also operates AIRMALLs at Baltimore/Washington International Airport and Boston's Logan International Airport

Logan International Airport

General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...

, however Pittsburgh remains by far the largest. An AirMall opened at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is a public airport located nine miles southwest of the central business district of Cleveland, a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The airport lies just within the city limits of Cleveland...

 in the spring of 2009 as well. The stores in the AirMall are known for pricing their merchandise the same as they would at a store in a typical retail setting, compared to the higher prices charged at restaurants and gift shops in other airports.

Pittsburgh International Airport

Opened along with the new airport in 1992, the AirMall in Pittsburgh is the largest airport shopping complex in the United States. It 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 Sept. 11, 2001, and the opening of The Mall at Robinson

The Mall at Robinson

The Mall at Robinson is a two-level, enclosed super-regional shopping mall located just off the Parkway West and PA Route 60 in Robinson Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, five minutes east of the Pittsburgh International Airport and 15 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh...

, the AIRMALL served as a shopping destination for residents of the western suburbs of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

.

Because the Airmall is located beyond the security checkpoint, where only ticketed passengers are permitted, and the reduction of the use of Pittsburgh International as a US Airways

US Airways

US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....

 hub, sales have decreased in recent years. It is possible that sales will rise slightly because of the new PIT-Paris route leaving passengers with a little extra time to shop. On April 13, 2007, it was announced that guests staying at the attached airport Hyatt

Hyatt

Hyatt Hotels Corporation , is an international operator of hotels.Hyatt Center is the headquarters for Hyatt corporation...

 hotel would be able to obtain passes to shop during their stay. Even with sales being down due to US Airways cutbacks and the 2008-2009 economic downturn, the AirMall in Pittsburgh still accounts for the highest per passenger spending of any airport in the country, at an average of $13.60/passenger.

External links

• Pittsburgh Airmall Guide