Asbestos in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Airport Construction

Key Takeaways

• Airports built and expanded during the twentieth century relied heavily on asbestos-containing materials because they were durable, affordable, and resistant to heat and fire.
• Terminals, maintenance hangars, mechanical rooms, utility tunnels, and support buildings commonly contained asbestos pipe and boiler insulation, HVAC duct insulation, spray-on fireproofing, ceiling and floor tiles, roofing, cement panels, gaskets, and joint compounds.
• Philadelphia International Airport has expanded steadily since the 1940s, with terminal additions, maintenance facilities, parking structures, and cargo buildings completed during the peak decades of asbestos use.
• Pittsburgh International Airport opened in its current form in 1992, but its predecessor, Greater Pittsburgh Airport, operated for decades during that same period.
• Many contractors on western Pennsylvania airport projects had also worked in steel mills, power plants, and industrial construction, meaning exposure often accumulated across multiple job sites.
• Trades potentially affected include construction laborers, electricians, pipefitters, plumbers, steamfitters, HVAC technicians, welders, insulators, maintenance mechanics, roofers, flooring installers, elevator mechanics, and demolition crews.
• Exposure was not limited to original construction. Repairs, renovations, and modernization work created new opportunities whenever older materials were cut, drilled, removed, or replaced.
• Asbestos left undisturbed is generally not dangerous. Federal and state rules now require asbestos surveys and safe removal procedures before many renovation projects begin.
• Symptoms often do not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure, so a diagnosis today may trace back to airport work performed decades earlier.
• Employment records can be difficult to locate after that much time, which is why reconstructing a complete work history matters.

Airports are often seen as symbols of progress, connecting people, businesses, and communities across the globe. But behind the terminals, runways, and maintenance facilities that millions of travelers pass through each year lies a construction history that many people never think about. 

Like countless large commercial and industrial projects built throughout the twentieth century, airports relied heavily on asbestos-containing materials. During periods of rapid expansion, asbestos was considered an ideal building product because it was durable, affordable, and highly resistant to heat and fire. 

For workers involved in the construction, maintenance, and renovation of Philadelphia International Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport, that widespread use may have resulted in asbestos exposure, often without their knowledge.

Why Was Asbestos Used in Airports? 

Throughout much of the 1900s, asbestos was incorporated into nearly every aspect of large infrastructure projects. 

Airport terminals, maintenance hangars, mechanical rooms, utility tunnels, and support buildings often contained asbestos because it helped protect against fire while insulating equipment that generated extreme heat. 

Common asbestos-containing materials included: 

• Pipe insulation 

• Boiler insulation 

• HVAC duct insulation 

• Spray-on fireproofing 

• Ceiling tiles 

• Floor tiles 

• Roofing materials 

• Cement panels 

• Electrical wiring insulation 

• Gaskets and seals 

• Joint compounds and drywall products 

Because airports operate around the clock, these materials were chosen for their ability to withstand constant use and demanding environmental conditions. 

Philadelphia International Airport’s Expansion 

Philadelphia International Airport has grown significantly since its early development in the 1940s. Numerous terminal additions, maintenance facilities, parking structures, cargo buildings, and infrastructure improvements were completed during the decades when asbestos use was at its peak. 

Workers who may have encountered asbestos included: 

• Construction laborers 

• Electricians 

• Pipefitters 

• Plumbers 

• Steamfitters 

• HVAC technicians 

• Welders 

• Insulators 

• Maintenance mechanics 

• Demolition crews 

• Contractors performing renovations 

Many employees worked around asbestos-containing insulation without realizing that disturbing these materials could release microscopic fibers into the air. 

Pittsburgh International Airport’s Industrial History 

Although Pittsburgh International Airport officially opened in its current form in 1992, the airport’s predecessor, Greater Pittsburgh Airport, operated for decades during the height of asbestos use. 

Construction and maintenance projects throughout the airport’s earlier facilities likely incorporated asbestos in mechanical systems and building materials that were standard for commercial construction at the time. 

Additionally, western Pennsylvania’s strong industrial economy meant many contractors working on airport projects had previously worked in steel mills, power plants, manufacturing facilities, and industrial construction, occupations already associated with significant asbestos exposure. 

Airport Workers Who May Have Been Exposed 

Exposure wasn’t limited to the people who originally built airport facilities. 

Over the years, maintenance and renovation activities created new opportunities for exposure whenever older asbestos-containing materials were repaired, removed, drilled, cut, or replaced. 

Potentially affected workers include: 

• Airport maintenance personnel 

• Building engineers 

• HVAC mechanics 

• Electricians 

• Fire suppression technicians 

• Utility workers 

• Elevator mechanics 

• Roofing contractors 

• Flooring installers 

• General contractors 

• Demolition specialists 

Even short-term renovation projects could disturb asbestos that had remained safely enclosed for decades. 

Renovations Can Create New Risks 

Many airport buildings constructed before the 1980s have undergone extensive modernization. 

While asbestos itself is generally not dangerous when left undisturbed, renovation or demolition work can release fibers into the air if proper inspection and abatement procedures are not followed. 

Federal and state regulations now require asbestos surveys and safe removal procedures before many renovation projects begin, helping protect today’s workers from unnecessary exposure. 

The Long Latency of Asbestos Disease 

One of the greatest challenges associated with asbestos exposure is that symptoms often do not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure occurred. 

Former construction workers, maintenance personnel, contractors, and mechanics may not connect a diagnosis of mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer with work performed decades earlier at an airport or other industrial facility. 

By the time symptoms develop, employment records may be difficult to locate, making it important to work with professionals familiar with occupational exposure histories. 

Pennsylvania’s Broader Industrial Legacy 

Airport construction represents only one part of Pennsylvania’s extensive history with asbestos. 

Many of the same workers who helped build or maintain airport facilities also worked at: 

• Steel mills 

• Power plants 

• Chemical plants 

• Oil refineries 

• Shipyards 

• Railroads 

• Manufacturing facilities 

• Commercial construction projects 

Because asbestos was used across so many industries, exposure often occurred at multiple job sites throughout a worker’s career. 

What Workers and Families Should Know 

If you or a loved one worked on the construction, maintenance, renovation, or repair of airport facilities in Pennsylvania, it’s important to remember that exposure may have occurred decades before symptoms appeared. 

A diagnosis of mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or another asbestos disease can raise difficult questions about where exposure happened and what options may be available. 

Understanding a person’s complete work history, including time spent on major construction projects such as airports can be an important part of identifying potential sources of asbestos exposure. 

The Halpern Law Firm Is Here to Help 

For decades, the Halpern Law Firm has represented individuals and families affected by asbestos-related diseases throughout Pennsylvania and across the country. 

Our team understands the many industries where asbestos was commonly used, including large commercial construction projects such as airports. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, we can help investigate work history, identify potential sources of exposure, and explain your legal options. 

Although airports connect people to destinations around the world, their construction history also reflects an era when asbestos was widely used in American infrastructure. Today, understanding that history helps protect workers, support affected families, and ensure the lessons of the past are never forgotten. 

Contact the Halpern Law firm today at 800-505-6000 or fill out our contact form for a free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which airport jobs carried the greatest asbestos exposure risk?

The highest risk generally fell to trades that cut into, installed, or maintained insulated systems: pipefitters, steamfitters, insulators, boilermakers, HVAC mechanics, electricians running conduit through fireproofed spaces, welders, and demolition crews. Maintenance personnel and building engineers who worked in mechanical rooms and utility tunnels over many years also had repeated contact with these materials.

I worked at the airport but not in construction. Could I have been exposed?

Possibly. Airline ground crews, baggage handlers, custodial staff, and others working in older terminal and hangar buildings could encounter airborne fibers when nearby renovation, repair, or demolition work disturbed asbestos-containing materials. Whether that amounted to meaningful exposure depends on the era, the location, and what work was happening around you.

What about aircraft mechanics and brake work?

Aircraft brake linings, clutch components, gaskets, and heat shields historically contained asbestos, and mechanics servicing them could be exposed while grinding, sanding, or blowing out brake assemblies. This is a separate exposure pathway from building construction, and it applies to airline maintenance personnel, military aviation mechanics, and general aviation technicians alike.

I was a union tradesman on airport projects. How do I document that work?

Union records are often the single most useful source. Local hall dispatch records, work history cards, pension and benefit fund records, and apprenticeship files can establish which contractors you worked for, at which sites, and during which years. Combined with Social Security earnings statements and coworker recollections, these records can reconstruct a job history even when the contractor is long gone.

What if the contractor I worked for is out of business?

This is common and rarely ends an inquiry. Asbestos claims are typically brought against the manufacturers of the insulation, fireproofing, gaskets, and other products a worker encountered rather than against the employer. Many of those manufacturers established bankruptcy trust funds that continue to pay claims today, so the contractor’s closure does not eliminate the potential sources of recovery.

Is asbestos still present at Philadelphia or Pittsburgh airports today?

Older buildings anywhere in the country may still contain asbestos-containing materials that were installed decades ago and remain in place. That is why federal and state regulations require inspection and, where necessary, abatement before renovation or demolition work proceeds. Those requirements exist to protect workers on current projects, and they did not exist during the decades when most of this material was installed.

Could my family have been exposed through my airport work?

Fibers carried home on work clothing, boots, and tools could expose household members who handled the laundry or shared the home. This is known as take-home or secondary exposure. Family members with no construction or airport work history of their own have developed mesothelioma this way and may have claims independent of the worker’s.

How long after airport work could a diagnosis appear?

Commonly 20 to 50 years or more. A laborer or pipefitter who worked a terminal expansion in the 1960s or 1970s might not receive a mesothelioma diagnosis until well into retirement. That gap is why so many people never connect a current illness to a job site they left decades ago.

What does it cost to have my work history reviewed?

Nothing. The Halpern Law Firm offers free, no-obligation case reviews and handles asbestos cases on a contingency basis, meaning no fee unless we recover compensation for you. Call (800) 505-6000 or fill out our contact form and someone will be with you right away.

Sources: 

EPA.gov