Single achievement

TPG Top 9 2023 01 KPIT to BIKF

This is a virtual airline achievement created by Fliggity Air.

Source: TPG

The airport was the main hub I flew through in my late teens and early twenties back when it was still a hub (and a cutting-edge one, at that). I have memories of bouncy Dash 8 turboprop flights ferrying me from the small airport in State College, Pennsylvania, to PIT — where connections to the world awaited. It was a great place to connect.

Its "AirMall" concept, introduced in 1992 as PIT opened a sparkling new terminal, pioneered the retail and food experience now commonplace in U.S. airports. After arriving at PIT, I connected to nonstops all across the country. My first overseas flight was from Pittsburgh — USAir's nonstop to Frankfurt.

But the 2000s were not kind to PIT. USAir, which had rebranded as US Airways by then, struggled through multiple bankruptcies and eventually dropped PIT as a hub. The airport's lineup of European nonstops — once a source of pride for a city the size of Pittsburgh — dried up. The airport's domestic flight schedule also shrank dramatically as US Airways struggled to stay afloat and made cut after cut in Pittsburgh.

In recent years, however, PIT has had a resurgence, focusing on local demand and rebuilding its domestic schedules across a number of airlines. With renewed stability and growth, the airport prioritized the return of overseas flights. There have been some wins, such as British Airways returning in 2019 with nonstops to London. Others have come and gone.

This brings us to Icelandair's new nonstops from PIT to its hub in Reykjavik. For me, the story behind the route can be just as exciting as the route itself. So, while Icelandair's arrival to PIT may not seem high profile, it keeps Pittsburgh connected with a second transatlantic route and lets me keep my memories of the airport's glory days alive.

Criteria

Depart from KPIT, fly to and land at BIKF (2,424 NM).
Date Departure Arrival Pilot Aircraft Landing rate Distance Flight time
01OCT24 0602Z KPIT BIKF Wokninja Boeing 777-300ER (B77W) -357 ft/m 2488 nm 03:28 View
05JUL24 2207Z KPIT BIKF FingerGames Boeing 777-300ER (B77W) -646 ft/m 2445 nm 04:45 View
01JUL24 1951Z KPIT BIKF CoupeX Boeing 777-300ER (B77W) -91 ft/m 2509 nm 04:40 View
16FEB24 1758Z KPIT BIKF Dubblas Boeing 737-800 (B738) -203 ft/m 2479 nm 05:35 View
06FEB24 1319Z KPIT BIKF Jahdoh Aerospatiale - British Aerospace Concorde (CONC) -321 ft/m 2489 nm 02:31 View
05JAN24 0014Z KPIT BIKF Sven Lenkewitz Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner (B78X) -448 ft/m 2444 nm 04:54 View
02JAN24 0510Z KPIT BIKF bleeman Eurofighter EF 2000 / Typhoon (EUFI) -23 ft/m 2428 nm 02:16 View
31DEC23 0433Z KPIT BIKF ResetXPDR Aerospatiale - British Aerospace Concorde (CONC) -129 ft/m 2487 nm 02:37 View
30DEC23 0426Z KPIT BIKF Tim Davern aka Mr Mix Tea Boeing 737-700 (B737) -364 ft/m 2487 nm 06:04 View
30DEC23 0353Z KPIT BIKF Percell Perry Airbus A320 neo (A20N) -726 ft/m 2483 nm 05:07 View