To celebrate National Intern Day and the conclusion of the iX25 Summer Internship Program, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) hosted a fun and inspiring “Shark Tank”-style competition for its college interns. During their internship period, the students were divided into six teams and assigned a project focused on one of PHL’s key focus areas as part of its Strategic Plan: improve conditions of current facilities, elevate airport experience, enhance business opportunities, or build for the future. 
All six teams pitched their projects with three being selected to advance to the finals. The final presentations were made on July 31, to CEO Atif Saeed, Chief Development Officer Api Appulingam, Chief Administrative Officer Delicsha Wilds, and Chief Operating Officer Greg Phillips. Projects were evaluated on creativity, feasibility, strategic thinking, alignment with PHL’s long-term plan, and how well they reflected the airport’s P.R.I.D.E. values: People First, Respect, Integrity, Diversity, and Excellence.
The three finalist teams were:
- “Electric Aviation” – Sustainable air travel and future transportation technologies to reduce traffic congestion getting to the airport.
- “Facility Fixers” – New digital multilingual signage to improve wayfinding throughout the airport for the many global visitors who will be coming to Philadelphia.
- “Sustainability Squad” – Terminal ECO concept to bring more green space and nature into the airport environment.
The Sustainability Squad took the top place with their Terminal ECO project. Their idea was to build a 1,265-square-foot green wall along with six aeroponic towers in Terminal E. The project focused on improving the guest experience, implementing new suitability features, and new technology. The winning team members are Shelby Holmes, Tom Thoung, Emma Schad, Emma Shellenberger, and Zaid Shaik.
The Department of Aviation is proud to host the iX25 Program and welcome such a talented group of interns this summer. The program is more than just experience. It’s about growth, mentorship, and building future leaders. The interns' hard work and enthusiasm will take them far into the the next chapter of their academic and professional journeys with some of them hopefully pursuing aviation careers to meet future workforce needs.
