Philadelphia is ready to throw the biggest party in its history and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) are ready to welcome all of the guests headed to the city for America’s 250th birthday, FIFA World Cup matches and MLB All-Star Game festivities. The Department of Aviation kicked off the busy month on June 8, with its third annual Airport Community Celebration and Airport-wide Employee Recognition All-Star Award.
The celebration featured the flavor of the city and the upcoming events, with performances by the Philly Fife and Drum Company and the West Powelton Steppers and Drum Squad; appearances by the Phillie Phanatic, Phillies Ball Girls, Philadelphia Union defender Frankie Westfield and mascot Phang.
Employees and airport guests also enjoyed music from DJ Stryker; demonstrations by Marshall Kavanaugh Dream Poet for Hire and the
Philadelphia Guild of Handweavers; and the opportunity to show off their soccer and baseball skills with kicking and pitching simulators. MarketPlace PHL provided food and beverage sampling by Pepsi Co. and the Department of Aviation shared giveaways.
“At PHL and PNE, we love celebrations centered around airport employees who proudly serve our guests 365 days a year. We are a team of employees dedicated to ensuring safe, secure, and positive experiences for passengers and for one another,” said Department of Aviation Director of Guest Experience Leah Douglas. “Through our collective customer service initiative, PHL WORKS, we have a unifying umbrella of service excellence—one that encourages every employee to offer meaningful interactions that make each guest feel welcomed, valued, and appreciated.”
Phillies Ambassador Scott Palmer emceed the 2026 Airport-wide Employee Recognition All-Star Award ceremony that recognized five finalists: Kyhaan Tucker, Travelers Aid International; Timothy Willis, Philadelphia Parking Authority; Michelle Gilchrist, Department of Aviation Custodial; Janis Benson, MarketPlace PHL Operations and Nicola Hanberry, Frontier Airlines. Tucker, who received five Employee Recognition Award nominations from guests in just her first year at PHL, selected as the All-Star and received a special challenge coin.
The annual pep rally is part of PHL WORKS, the award-winning program created by the PHL Guest Experience Stakeholder Council in 2024. The Council brings together representatives from all PHL partners. The airports have more than 18,000 badged employees — including those from the Department of Aviation, airlines, concessions, service providers, and TSA — that impact every aspect of a guest’s journey through the airport from curb to cloud.
