As travel and stay-at-home restrictions are being lifted, the public is showing signs of wanting to take trips. But what are people’s thoughts about flying? Are they ready to board a plane? If they want to fly, what do they need to know about the new airport experience? 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the term “essential employees” has become part of the vernacular. The nearly 1,000 member City of Philadelphia Division of Aviation workforce includes hundreds of employees who are considered essential. Chief among these are those who work in the Facilities and Maintenance Department, whose members perform many mission-critical jobs around the clock that enable Philadelphia International Airport to remain open, operational and safe.

Philadelphia International Airport is working hard to make sure that customers feel safe when they return to travel, and PHL's leaders are working equally hard to make sure employees feel that way too.

When the Grab platform was introduced for ordering food at the airport, it was seen as a convenience tool for travelers that wanted to pick up their meals quickly while on the way to their gates and employees with limited break time to purchase food. In the COVID-19 world, Grab is a way to promote physical distancing and safety, by allowing users to avoid queuing in crowded lines and limiting high touch interactions for restaurant staff.

When it is safe to travel, the airport experience will be very different for passengers. Safety shields, facial coverings and masks, and decals indicating where to queue—these are just some of the things that are part of the new normal in the world of aviation.

How does PHL — and the aviation industry — come back from the COVID-19 crisis? What immediate and lasting impacts will the coronavirus pandemic have on air travel? In the new “Runway to Recovery” video series, PHL CEO Chellie Cameron is joined by members of the Airport’s leadership team for discussions on what the post-COVID-19 aviation world will look like and how they are planning for change.