PHL Readies for Post-Coronavirus 2020 Travel Season and Beyond

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is building a preliminary forecast of the upcoming summer and fall travel seasons in collaboration with its airport stakeholders. American Airlines, which comprises 70% of PHL’s traffic, released its network-wide schedule adjustments today in response to the new coronavirus global health crisis.

“We are seeing significant shifts in the travel industry as a result of COVID-19, and we stand ready to help drive that recovery process with our partners” said PHL CEO Chellie Cameron. “We are pleased that American Airlines will resume limited transatlantic flights from Philadelphia for the summer season, and we will be thrilled to welcome international travelers back to the airport when they’re ready to travel.”

The remainder of the calendar year will be a time of operational stabilization as travel and tourism gradually resume across the United States. A federal travel ban for Europe is currently scheduled to lift on April 11, with American Airlines planning its first transatlantic flight the first week of June, starting as a daily flight from Philadelphia to Heathrow Airport.

Due to varying state travel restrictions, domestic flight demand is expected to remain low until June. Additional adjustments to the American Airlines’ PHL schedule involve cutting summer seasonal flights, including Athens, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Edinburgh, Reykjavik, Lisbon, Prague, Shannon and Venice. Service to Madrid and Zurich will resume in July, with Amsterdam, Dublin and Manchester starting in October.  Additionally, the previously-announced new flight from Philadelphia to Casablanca will not commence in 2020 as planned.

“We understand that the world will initially be hesitant to travel again, and we’re planning for that both financially and operationally,” said Cameron. “The ‘new normal’ for us means scrutinizing our expenses and right-sizing our offerings to the reality of reduced air travel, with an eye for recovery over the next 18 to 24 months.”

As travelers prepare to reschedule or resume delayed travel plans in coming months, PHL is committed to keeping guests informed about changes at the airport. The public can visit PHL.org/Open to view a constantly-updated list of current shopping and dining offerings. Additionally, the latest information about security checkpoints, parking, travel restrictions and health advisories can be found at PHL.org/COVID19.

“PHL will be ready to welcome passengers back to the airport when they’re ready to start flying again,” said Cameron. “In the meantime, we’ll continue taking care of our employees, our essential travel passengers, and each other as we prepare for this next chapter.” 

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Christine Ottow
Director of Strategic Communications
267-760-3931
[email protected]
Heather Redfern
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215-600-6105
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