Fares at Pittsburgh International Airport fell 34.9 percent between the second quarter of 2000 and the same period this year, one of the biggest drops in the country.

Of the top 100 airports, only four others saw a bigger drop in fares, according a report released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

The report showed that Pittsburgh fares averaged $417.99 in the second quarter 2000. By last spring, that had plunged to $272.07. The only airports that saw bigger reductions were White Plains, N.Y; Denver; Charlotte, N.C.; and Richmond, Va.

Nationwide, fares dropped by an average of 11.2 percent during that same period, from $339.21 to $301.26.

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