Philadelphia International Airport

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is the region's main commercial airport, owned by the City of Philadelphia and operated by the Division of Aviation, part of the city's Commerce Department. Located in Southwest Philadelphia and Tinicum Township, Delaware County, it is a hub for American Airlines. It is a city enterprise funded mainly by airline rents and fees, passenger facility charges, parking and concessions, not by city taxes.^[1]

1 Governance and finance

The airport is run by a chief executive of the Division of Aviation who reports through the Commerce Department to the mayor. The airport's management-team page at phl.org lists Tracy Borda as CFO and Interim CEO; any later appointment of a permanent chief executive would appear at phl.org. The airport operates under federal rules from the Federal Aviation Administration; security screening is by the Transportation Security Administration. Airport bonds are issued by the city and repaid from airport revenues. Airline agreements and major contracts are subject to City Council approval; see Procurement Department. PHL also operates Northeast Philadelphia Airport, a general-aviation facility.

2 Traffic and the 2026 surge

PHL surpassed 30 million passengers in both 2024 and 2025.^[2] Airport officials said in 2026 that they expected 9.4 million passengers over the summer, a 6.3 percent increase over 2025, driven by events including the FIFA World Cup, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and America's 250th anniversary celebrations; July was projected to be the busiest month at 3.2 million passengers.^[3] The airport issued a statement marking an unofficial end to the 2026 summer travel season around Labor Day.

3 Capital projects

The airport has carried out a program of terminal, concourse, baggage and roadway upgrades. In March 2026 the Philadelphia Inquirer and PhillyVoice reported on a package of roughly 250 upgrades timed to the 2026 events.^[4] Major construction requires FAA approval, and funding comes from federal grants, bonds and passenger facility charges. Transit access is provided by SEPTA's Airport Line regional rail.

4 Jobs, labor and community

The airport supports thousands of jobs for airlines, concessions and contractors, and many service workers are represented by unions such as the service unions described in Service and Health Care Unions. Airport concession and minority-participation programs are a recurring issue in Council hearings, as are noise and air-quality concerns for neighbors in Southwest Philadelphia and Delaware County and the impact of expansion plans on nearby communities and the Eastwick area.

5 Complaints and customer issues

Passengers file complaints about flights with the airline and the U.S. Department of Transportation; complaints about airport facilities can go to the airport or Philly311. The airport has drawn criticism in national passenger-satisfaction rankings: the Inquirer reported in September 2024 that a J.D. Power survey ranked it poorly.^[5] Officials have said terminal improvements aim to address those concerns.

See also: Port and Bridge Authorities, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, OTIS.

References

1. Philadelphia International Airport, phl.org; City of Philadelphia, Division of Aviation.
2. Airport Improvement magazine, "PHL surpasses 30 million passengers for second consecutive year."
3. City & State Pennsylvania, "Philadelphia International Airport prepares for summer like no other," May 2026; PHL newsroom, "PHL Marks Unofficial End to Historic Summer of 2026."
4. Philadelphia Inquirer, "PHL Philadelphia airport 250 upgrades 2026," March 11, 2026; PhillyVoice, "Philadelphia airport upgrades 2026."
5. Philadelphia Inquirer, "Philadelphia airport worst customer satisfaction power," September 19, 2024.