Philadelphia leaders tout recent wins, coming improvements at first-ever "State of the Airport"
City leaders came together on Wednesday for the first time for the "State of the Airport." Inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center, they celebrated successes while talking about plans for the future.
"Philadelphia is a city of firsts and Philadelphia International Airport continues this tradition with new ways of thinking and collaboration," said Atif Saeed, department of aviation CEO.
PHL is the busiest airport in the state, and by the end of next year leaders expect to return to pre-pandemic passenger levels.
While some travelers love it — others try to avoid it.
"The experience of flying from Philadelphia is really easy and comfortable," Lynel Jones of Sicklerville said.
Colin Remick of Fishtown added: "I lived in New York and I flew here very often and I feel like the cancellations I get at Philadelphia International are more than any other airport I've experienced."
Together with Northeast Philadelphia Airport, some 28 million people flew through the two last year to more than 120 nonstop destinations. The airport system notes they both generated a combined nearly $19 billion for the surrounding area.
"The equation is simple — more foot traffic at the airport results in more jobs, more revenue, more connections and a better economy," said Nate Gatten, American Airlines executive vice president. Gatten served as the event's keynote speaker.
Several recent successes — deemed by city and airport leaders — were discussed, including improvements to bathrooms, an increase in passengers and new flight destinations.
The Parker administration is looking ahead to 2026, when Philadelphia will host six World Cup matches, the MLB All-Star Game and other events. Both airports are owned by the city.
"PHL is going to be the front door that welcomes the millions of visitors who will be coming to attend these events," Mayor Cherelle Parker said.
More than $500 million in investments is set aside for both PHL and PNE. Passengers can expect cosmetic upgrades from seating to landscaping plus continued improvements to bathrooms and new parking features where guests can prebook and pay for spots.
"We have four focus areas — improve conditions of current facilities, elevate airport experience, enhance business opportunities and build for the future," Saeed said.
The inaugural event fell on the same day as new rankings were released. PHL placed last in the large airport category of J.D. Power's "Overall Customer Satisfaction Index."
"I don't know why they named them last because it's a great airport — the experience, everything," Jones said.
Remick added, "Not very surprised. Not very surprised. I love airports. I have strong opinions about them."
When asked about the new rankings, an airport spokesperson noted: "We've actually received recognition from the world and around the country for different programs that we have for our dining and our shopping programs, for being family friendly, for having ones of the best TSA wait times in the country and for being ones of the most on-time airports in the world, so we look to build upon that."