Passengers may not realize this, but there are more than 800 employees in Philadelphia International Airport who work for the City of Philadelphia Division of Aviation, which owns and operates both PHL and Northeast Philadelphia Airport. About 200 of these employees work in offices for Human Resources, Finance, Safety, Capital Development, Planning, Communications, Marketing, Properties, and Legal. Most non-operations employees are currently working from home, due to COVID-19 physical distancing requirements.

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.  

PHL employees miss seeing passengers filling the terminals, either coming to visit Philadelphia or possibly heading on an exciting vacation. Staff members also miss being able to travel from PHL. To celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week, members of PHL’s Marketing and Communications teams upped their staycation game by remembering favorite trips from the past or thinking about where they’d like to go once it’s safe to travel.

Fifteen small and women business owners and Philadelphia International Airport employees recently graduated from the Construction Management Certificate Program, a comprehensive nine-month series of classes designed to provide business management tools to existing and aspiring independent contractors. The program was provided by Temple University and Temple’s Small Business Development Center and was sponsored by PHL.

The PHL Ramp Tower will be glowing blue in support of healthcare workers. With this new feature, the Airport's Ramp Tower (located between Terminals A and B) joins other local buildings and landmarks in illuminating the region in blue in appreciation of the healthcare community.

"The lights can be seen from miles away, including on I-95," said PHL CEO Chellie Cameron. “This is a great way for us to recognize the healthcare workers on the frontline of the COVID-19 crisis.” 

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.   

When the public is ready to fly again, travelers will encounter a new airport experience, from the time they enter the building until boarding their planes.

Philadelphia Music Ambassador Chill Moody will represent Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) in the JetStream Music Festival, an online celebration of music between 23 North American airports, to be held on Wednesday, May 6 at 6 p.m. EDT. The stream will take place on Facebook Live and will feature performances from musicians representing each city.

The PHL/PNE Capital Development team is constantly in the process of modernizing the airport complexes to meet the evolving needs of travelers and remain world-class facilities. So, what is the team’s role now that PHL and PNE are experiencing reduced passenger traffic?