Snow Airfield

The Department of Aviation’s winter preparation process begins at the end of September. The first task is making sure that the airports' FAA documents are up-to-date. Together with the training unit, Compliance Training Superintendent John Glass will go over the documents to ensure that the training guidelines and guidance sheet for the other departments are current and that any necessary changes have been made.

Engine 78

The Philadelphia Fire Department’s Engine 78 (E78) is the Aircraft Rescue Firefighting unit (ARFF) located at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). To ensure the safety of the airport and aircraft, the Engine 78 team is always ready to fight the flames, respond to medical emergencies, and educate the public about their mission.  

EPEX 2023

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) experienced a fast-moving thunderstorm.

Medic Unit

The Philadelphia Fire Department’s (PFD) newest Alternative Response Unit – known as AR30 – recently went into service at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). This pilot program stations emergency medical personnel in the airport terminal to provide a quick response to passengers and employees who need immediate medical attention.

At The Gate

Have you ever wondered what happens to the plane at the gate either after it arrives or prepares for take-off? There is a series of orchestrated events.     

Biometrics

At Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), the future of secure and efficient travel is already here, thanks to the successful implementation of a state-of-the-art biometric screening technology at 25 gates across Terminal A. As one of the first airports in the United States to adopt this technology mandated by U.S.

FAA Tower

Have you ever wondered why you’re ready for take-off and your aircraft isn't leaving? The plane is ready for departure, the weather is nice, other planes are leaving, but your flight is delayed. It’s most likely due to a ground stop (GS).  

Airport Skyline

Ever wonder how your flight is guided? There are hundreds of planes in the sky at any given moment and each one is closely monitored throughout its flight to ensure safety.  

Snow Removal

The winter of 2022-23 has been very mild in Philadelphia-  as of publication, there have not been any winter storms with accumulated snow. There was no need to prepare the plow vehicles or to have the aircraft defrosted because of icy conditions. So, what does that mean for PHL, a northeastern airport accustomed to preparing for snow? How does a snowless winter affect the way the airport prepares for inclement weather?

Blue Tower

Throughout the month of January and in recognition of the importance of the topic, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and its partners are promoting awareness of prevention of human trafficking.

Communications Center

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is looking forward to opening its new Airport Operations Center (AOC) in early 2023 in the current Communications Center in Terminal C.

The process, which will begin at the end of February, will bring Airport Operations Tower Coordinators (OTCs), Job Control operators, and Systems Control (security) personnel into one facility, making the AOC the nerve center of the airport.

Rain tower

When people think of weather and air travel, usually the first images that pop up are of plows and other apparatus clearing snow off runways and deicing liquid bathing aircraft on airport deicing pads.

PAX1

Millions of people will travel domestically and internationally through Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and airports around the world this summer. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, travel within the United States will reach pre-pandemic numbers in 2022.

Ops window washing

As we enter the summer months, Philadelphia International Airport’s (PHL) Operations and Ground Maintenance teams will be working on several projects on the airfield and throughout the facilities. The projects scheduled by the Maintenance Unit and contractors through summer include:

West Chester

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) recently doubled as a classroom for a group of

Advisory

As per the City of Philadelphia's guidance, face masks are encouraged, but no longer mandated inside city facilities, including Philadelphia International Airport, as of Friday, April 22, 2022. Guests and staff may choose to continue to wear masks at their own discretion.

TSA Mandates Rap Back Checks

Airports across the country have been mandated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to implement Rap Back, a continuous search and reporting system of arrests and convictions through the FBI. By providing daily updates on fingerprints on file, Rap Back is expected to close the loopholes that exist between the hiring process and a felonious encounter with the authorities. 

International Arrivals

In the coming weeks, many transatlantic routes will be returning to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). If it's been a while since you've traveled internationally, check out this video for what you need to know to make your return trip to the US as smooth as possible.

Blue Light Trafficking Awareness

Human trafficking, the illegal trade of human beings for exploitation or forced labor, is the fastest growing and second largest criminal industry in the world, generating billions of dollars in illegal profits and affecting an estimated 24.9 million men, women and children around the globe.

Rubber Removal

Each time planes land on the airfield, the wheels leave rubber and skid on the runway surface.

PTV

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is one of a few airports in America that continues to utilize its Passenger Transfer Vehicles (PTVs). The vehicles, also known as “Plane Mates” or “mobile lounges,” were designed by Eero Saarinen in the 1960s.

PHL Snow

Although winter does not officially begin until December 21, Philadelphia International Airport’s (PHL) Pavement and Grounds (P&G) team begins preparing for the season’s arrival in August.    

Air Handlers

Have you ever looked at the large, gray rectangular boxes on the roof of Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and wondered what they are and what they do? These units are called air handlers and they have the essential function of circulating air evenly throughout the airport. There are more than 700 air handlers airport-wide that provide PHL with warm or cold air, depending on the time of year.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October’s arrival brings several changes to our region. Changes in weather, changes in landscape colors, changes in sports. This year, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is planning to bring a change of its own. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and after a year that saw many high-profile attacks with far-reaching implications, PHL wants to change the public’s perspective of cybersecurity.

Afghan family standing on airfield looks at PHL airport

Note: Check out PHL's official Operation Allies Refuge Photography and Videography

Air Serbia

Spring and summer storms can make for long days for travelers and airport staff due to delayed, cancelled and diverted flights. On a recent stormy evening, PHL welcomed more than 20 planes that were headed to the New York City area but were forced to make weather-related stops before reaching their destinations.

FOD walk June 2021

Debris on an airfield’s runways, taxiways and ramp areas poses safety hazards to individuals, aircraft and other equipment and can lead to accidents. To mitigate the hazards caused by foreign objects, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires airports to have a Foreign Object Debris (FOD) Management Plan.

John Glass Papal Visit

On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, Airport Operations Superintendent John Glass was sitting in his office at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) looking over inspection reports, construction activities, and a variety of daily operations-related matters that are routine at an airport. The day seemed set up to be an ordinary one for Glass who was then responsible for overseeing the day to day operations at PHL.

Antimicrobial bins have technology designed to inhibit the growth of bacteria.

In light of the germ-wariness amplified by the pandemic, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), in its ongoing campaign to create a healthier and safer experience for guests and employees, has partnered with SecurityPoint Media to bring the SecureTray System® and its TSA bin antimicrobial technology to airport checkpoints.

Removing electronics from carry-on bags was one of the changes made since 9-11

On September 10, 2001, anyone – even those who weren’t flying out – could come to the airport and pass through the security checkpoint to enter the secure area. At the checkpoint, screeners employed by private companies hired by the airlines scanned carry-on bags. Anyone passing through the checkpoint could do so without taking off shoes, belts, and outerwear or removing items from their carry-ons.

Before coming to the airport know what you cannot bring through security

It’s getting busy at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) as more people are traveling again following nearly a year in which the pandemic slowed air travel to levels not seen in decades. And it’s expected to get even busier as the 2021 summer vacation season arrives as the country opens up and Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

PHL's Video Surveillance System is Getting an Upgrade

Just about everyone is familiar with Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras. They’ve been used for decades just about anywhere including public facilities like airports where surveillance cameras are as ubiquitous as airplanes. Like the livery on planes, things have changed over the years. Perhaps nowhere has change been more profound as in technology where time can be defined as the analog era versus the digital world.

AHA- GBAC Certification

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) has achieved Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) from Airports Council International (ACI) and Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR Facility Accreditation for health and safety measures put in place throughout the airport's facilities.

passenger walking

Welcome back to PHL!

The City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have announced new COVID-19 guidance. Here’s what you need to know about how this will impact PHL:

MASK UP Event

Wearing face masks has been required of all PHL guests and employees since last May, when the City of Philadelphia’s face covering mandate was put into effect.

plane sky

President Joe Biden's Executive Order on Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and International Travel has gone into effect. 

David Staples, PHL Director of Safety Management System, explains hazard reporting process to an employee.

Safety first. While it may sound like a cliché, it’s a mantra at facilities like airports. Maintaining a safe environment for guests, employees, and tenants is paramount.

Foxtrot 11, the new Mass Medical Care unit, has arrived at PHL

The Philadelphia Fire Department Engine 78 at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) has put into service a new Mass Medical Care Unit that will improve the deployment of resources should a mass medical emergency occur at the airport. Known as Foxtrot 11, the state-of-the art apparatus replaces a 1982 box truck and 20-foot trailer that needed to be towed to the scene of an incident.

"Multifarious" one of a dozen multi-function snow clearing apparatus is getting ready to be deployed when winter storms arrive at PHL

It’s a bright sunny morning in early November and the mercury is inching up to a forecasted high in the 60s as a conga line of huge yellow trucks fronted by large plows and carrying brooms repeatedly circles a secondary runway at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). To the casual observer, the scene is peculiar.

EPEX 2020

THE SCENARIO: An American Airlines Airbus 321 jetliner with 131 souls on board is preparing to land on Runway 9R during a fast-moving thunderstorm at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) when the flight encounters severe wind shear.

Acrylic shields to help protect passengers and TSA officers are being installed by the agency at PHL

In its ongoing efforts to put in place initiatives to help stop the spread of COVID-19, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is in the process of installing new acrylic barriers at security checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

cleaning-team

Philadelphia International Airport is host to more than 88,000 daily passengers and 21,000 employees, so enabling good hygiene is among the airport’s highest priorities. Check out a behind-the-scenes look at what PHL’s teams are doing to keep the public safe during the COVID-19 public health crisis.  

PHL COO Keith Brune, shown here at the 2019 Veteran's Day ceremony, has served on the PA Aviation Council Board Since 2011.

Keith Brune, Chief Operating Officer at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), has been re-elected for another three-year term as a Director on the Board of the Aviation Council of Pennsylvania (ACP). Brune, who has served on the ACP Board since 2011, will remain there until 2023 at which time he will again come up for re-election.

Captain Samuel Gollapalli found his true calling with the PFD; now he manages the specialized ARFF Training Center at PHL.

Thirty years ago, Samuel Gollapalli graduated Temple University with a Business degree. It was a proud accomplishment for the young man who came to the United States from India in 1984 in pursuit of an education. The timing, though, was terrible. With the country in a recession, Gollapalli struggled to find work in his field of study.

ARFF Firefighters put out a simulated blaze on the Special Aircraft Fire Trainer at PHL.

On a pleasantly cool, sunny morning in mid-September, nine members of the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard gathered in a classroom at the Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Training Center on the western edge of Philadelphia International Airport (

ticketing

Effective Tuesday, September 15, 2020, Philadelphia International Airport will temporarily discontinue operations in non-secure portions of Terminal A-East. This scope will cover the following areas:

Restricted as of September 15:

PHL Custodial team sanitizes a restroom with the Clorox 360 electrostatic spraying system

When the COVID-19 outbreak ramped up in March, public facilities like airports started focusing on measures to augment daily cleaning routines in an effort to combat the virus.

TSA has installed five new computed tomography (CT) scanners at PHL

In its ongoing effort to deploy the latest security screening technology to keep the traveling public and airports safe and enhance the screening process, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has installed five new state-of-the-art advanced technology computed tomography checkpoint scanners at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

TSA Checkpoint Cleaning

When the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up back in March, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) responded by stepping up its

Liberty USO has reopened at PHL with social distancing, limited capacity and other safety protocols in place.

As Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) has seen more passengers traveling through, more food and retail businesses opening up and more services coming back in recent weeks following a virtual shutdown during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, PHL was especially happy to see one member of its community open its doors agai

New CAT technology checks if IDs are valid.

In an ongoing effort to enhance the passenger screening process, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) are using Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) that validates a traveler’s identification and confirms their flight information in near real time.

The PHL Central Supplies and Services Unit has benefitted from the successful implemention of Maximo

Before the City of Philadelphia Division of Aviation began rolling out Maximo – a state-of-the-art software management system – a couple of years ago, staff in the Communications Center used a very analog mechanism for documenting service requests and emergency incidents.

As of June 24, the Department of State reported a backlog of 1.6 million passport applications awaiting processing.

The COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts to the travel industry are well documented. In the air travel sector, at its peak in April, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) saw a 95 percent drop in flights and passenger traffic compared to a year ago.

Diminished activity in the terminals allowed the Facilities Maintenance team to perform repairs like to this escalator in Terminal A-West without inconveniencing guests

Back in March as the COVID-19 pandemic was rapidly spreading along with government-mandated shutdowns and restrictions that, among other things, turned airports into virtual ghost towns, Allan Moore recalls the strange sense of walking through Philadelphia International Airport’s deserted complex.

Deputy Fire Chief Marc Bofinger brings a wealth of experience to the PFD's ARFF unit at PHL

Marc Bofinger, the recently appointed Deputy Chief, Airport Operations Division of the Philadelphia Fire Department’s Engine 78, is no stranger to Philadelphia International Airport and its specialized Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) unit.

Frontier Bear

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer— and the kick-off of the summer vacation season. But with some travel restrictions still in place and many people tentative about flying, what will summer 2020 look like at PHL?  

“Recent developments from our airline partners have made us cautiously optimistic as we move into June,” said Stephanie Wear, PHL’s Director of Air Service Development and Cargo.  

Damian Oravez, PHL's Chief Information Security Officer

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world in a lot of ways. Among them are unprecedented numbers of workers doing their jobs from virtual offices at home and more and more people going online for shopping, COVID-related news and information, and making charitable donations.

While the masses gravitate in greater numbers to the digital world, it appears that cyber criminals have stepped up their game.

Travelers Can Expect New Procedures at TSA Security Screening

As the COVID-19 health crisis lingers into the Memorial Day weekend – the traditional start of the summer travel season – the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has introduced changes to the security screening process that aim to reduce the potential for cross-contamination at the security checkpoint in an effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. TSA has already started implementation of these changes and more are slated by mid-June.

Even though fewer people are flying now, travelers still need to be mindful of security screening guidelines and getting to the airport 2 hours before departure

As the COVID-19 health crisis continues to impact the aviation industry, there is no timetable for when airline operations may approach pre-pandemic levels. At Philadelphia International Airport, flight ops are down about 90 percent from this time a year ago.

food court

Beginning May 22, access to Philadelphia International Airport’s facilities will be limited to those with airport business, including badged employees, ticketed passengers and people who are transporting those with airport business.

Airlines have parked idle planes on the Deicing Pad at PHL

It’s mid-April and any threat of winter weather – even the very rare early spring occurrence -- in Philadelphia is past. So, what are planes doing on the deicing pad at the far west end of the airfield at Philadelphia International Airport, an area that usually sees activity in the winter months with aircraft lined up to be bathed in fluid to clear them of ice before take-off?

TSA officers take precautions to keep themselves and travelers safe

For those who are traveling through airports during the COVID-19 health crisis, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has important information and things you should know before passing through the screening process.

COVID-19 Custodial

Not only does an airport’s custodial team clean up after thousands of passengers every day, they lead the facility’s infectious disease prevention efforts, too. During this period of reduced passenger volume due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, PHL’s custodians are working even harder to keep passengers, colleagues and themselves safe.   

Titan Airlines Medical Cargo Flight

Airports have a very different feel this spring. Instead of bustling with travelers heading off for vacation or family holiday celebrations, terminals are empty while passengers follow important Stay at Home orders to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

PHL Airport Default ImageDefault Hero

On January 21, PHL implemented a 45-day pilot of biometric screening technologies at three international gates to help U.S. Customs and Border Protection process departing passengers. Biometric screening is designed to verify travelers' identities by cross-checking facial scans with photos already on file with the federal government. CBP also has been mandated by federal law to use biometric exit screenings for foreign nationals.

pilot flying a drone

As the Unmanned Aircraft Bill goes before parliament for a second reading, the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) says new European research backs its concerns that the number of drone flights in controlled airspace is being underestimated.

Notice of Privacy Practices