The Changing Face of America series brings us a behind-the-scenes visit to Pittsburgh International Airport one winter day. We find out from Airport Operations Director James Maloney how the busy job of getting passengers from one plane to another has changed over the years. We hear how increased passenger loads has taken a toll on the people who work there. The job of getting people where they need to go has strained even the most polite airport personnel. Customers are rude and its hard not to be rude back. But for a lot of the people at the airport, there's still great pleasure in doing their jobs. There's pride in the daily dance of safely getting people on the ground, quickly escorting them and their baggage to another plane, and getting the aircraft ready to fly again. A team of NPR producers collaborated to prepare this sound portrait. (22:00) Find out more at: http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2001/jan/010131.cfoa.html.
Copyright 2001 NPR