The mission of the City of Philadelphia Department of Aviation is “Proudly Connecting Philadelphia with the World.”  From June 12 through July 6, the staff at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) proudly connected the world to Philadelphia when welcoming visitors for the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250^th birthday celebration – all while showcasing the city’s signature spirit of "brotherly love and sisterly affection."

During that period, PHL was projected to welcome more than two million guests, including 455,000 travelers from June 18-21 and 382,000 from July 2-5. In addition to regularly scheduled PHL Customer Care Team members, Information Navigators and Volunteer Navigators, more than 400 Department of Aviation staff volunteer ambassadors were stationed throughout the terminals with welcome signs, giveaways and photo props to create an engaging and distinctly Philly welcome for guests. 

“The airport is the first impression many visitors have of Philadelphia, and the entire PHL community stepped up to make that experience memorable,” said Department of Aviation Interim CEO Tracy Borda. “We wanted guests to feel the energy and character of Philadelphia the moment they arrived – and to leave wanting to come back.”

Staff offered assistance – or just smiles – to guests and took photos with Philly and PHL-themed props and keepsakes to help travelers remember their trip through PHL. In a little over three weeks, airport staff handed out almost 10,000 giveaways, including:

4,350 mini soccer balls
360 mini baseballs (in recognition of the upcoming MLB All-Star Game)
1,968 patriotic mini balls
1,500 American flags
240 red, white and blue pompoms, and
1,350 flags of nations playing in FIFA World Cup matches in Philadelphia

The Department of Aviation staff volunteers were also joined by 60 Phambassadors, seven Youth Diplomats from the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia and SEPTA ambassadors on the train platforms. 

"The feedback from guests – whether they were visiting Philadelphia, connecting through PHL or cheering on teams across the region – was incredibly positive,” said Borda. “The years of planning and coordination behind these 2026 events showed in the experience we were able to deliver, and we’ll carry those lessons forward into future major events.”