It has been a busy season at PHL and PNE. We began welcoming staff back to the office. Our terminals have been filled with families heading on vacation and to visit friends and relatives they haven’t seen in a long time. We also announced our aggressive cargo expansion plans and celebrated the construction of PHL’s aircraft parking apron. PNE’s runway 6-24 renovation project is moving along. Construction on the intersection of runways 6-24 and 15-33, which was scheduled to close the airport for two weeks, finished three days early.

This has also been a bittersweet time for the Division of Aviation. On July 17, the last of our Early Retirement Program (ERP) participants said their goodbyes. Seventy-four staff members took advantage of the ERP. I am sure that for many of our colleagues, making the decision to retire was not easy. Some folks will be taking care of family members or moving to be closer to relatives and others are embarking on new professional endeavors and taking well-deserved vacations. I know you join me in wishing everyone the best as they begin the next chapter of their lives. We will miss our friends.

We did not just lose more than 70 team members during June and July- we also lost almost 1,700 years of institutional and occupational knowledge. In some instances, a department’s entire supervisory staff participated in the ERP. Attempting to fill the void left by so many seasoned employees while still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic will be challenging. Human Resources and department leaders are meeting to reevaluate staffing needs and reposition staff or hire employees to fill mission critical jobs. And most importantly, thanks to the number of staff that participated in the ERP, we will not need to do layoffs or furloughs at this time.

I would like to be able to say that we are fully recovered. Passenger volume over the summer has been about 70 percent of what we saw in 2019. However, with business travel struggling to achieve 50% of 2019 levels and international COVID-19 restrictions fluctuating, we know our passenger volume will drop after Labor Day. We are still very much in recovery mode and need to continue with our plans to meet current airline service levels and passenger demand.

With COVID-19 cases on the rise due to the Delta variant, our future is a bit uncertain, but things seem to be improving slowly. Thank you for your continued patience and support, and please know I value each and every one of you. Stay safe!

Chellie

HR Updates 

Best Wishes to Our Early Retirement Program Participants

The Division of Aviation's Early Retirement Program has ended and PHL/PNE bid farewell to 74 employees during the 90-day period. We wish them and their families all the best. 

2020-2021 Performance Reports Due August 15 

2020-2021 performance reports are due to HR by August 15.  If you have not received performance evaluations for your team, please contact Marjorie Howell at 215-937-3467 or [email protected]. The Division’s goal is 100% return rate.  Your assistance with achieving this goal is necessary. 

As a reminder per DC 47’s contract, performance evaluations for DC 47 employees that are not returned to Human Resources within 90 days of the due date cannot be processed. Late reports submitted will be returned.   

If you need support with completing your reports, please contact Tamara Whitfield at [email protected] or 215-863-3464. 

Virtual Work Agreements Due Now

Virtual Work Agreement were due July 30. Submissions can still be returned via email to [email protected] or in person to the D or E Terminal reception desk. 

While the content for Virtual Work Agreements may vary by unit, it is key that the agreement contain the following information:  

• Start date of the Virtual Work Agreement (no later than July 12, 2021).  
• Frequency of follow up meetings to discuss status of Virtual Work Arrangement.  

Virtual Work is a privilege offered by the City to its employees to further promote work-life balance.  Permission to engage in work may be rescinded if operational needs are not being met.  

Return to Office Transition Listening Sessions 

The Benefits Office is bringing back listening sessions for City employees via the ComPsych, Employee Assistance Program. These sessions provide emotional support for employees as they transition back into their physical work space. Sessions are held on the dates listed below from noon-1 p.m. Employees may login to a Zoom group session to share their thoughts and or ideas with others. A licensed professional will be on hand to facilitate each listening session. This will also be a great time for employees to request information about the various tools ComPsych has available to support family work life balance. All City employees are invited to participate in the listening sessions. 

Return to Office - Mandatory Orientation  

MANDATORY Return to Office Orientation sessions for virtual workers, which includes an overview of the Safe Work Playbook and updated City and airport policies, will be held August 3-13.  Employees will be notified directly of their scheduled date and time.  Conflicts with re-orientation dates may be forwarded to [email protected].  

Return to Office  - Terminal D/E Quiet Spaces and Touchdown Stations 

While social distancing protocols have been removed, the Division of Aviation recognizes that employees may not be comfortable with transitioning to work onsite at full capacity. To provide privacy for employees working in highly populated areas, we have identified the following touchdown workstations and quiet spaces. These rooms will be added to the conference room scheduler and employees will be able to reserve them. Need help reserving a space? view the Booking Conference Rooms in Outlook instructional video. 

Employee Health Screener

The employee health screening tool was updated to include new COVID-19 screening questions and instruction based on vaccination status. Employees who have accessed the screening tool using their mobile devices in the past have cookies/cache embedded in their browser history that redirects them to the older version when they access the website. Employees who cannot access the updated version, must delete the cookies and cache on their mobile device to resolve the issue. Instructions on removing cache can be found here. 

The updated online tool can be accessed utilizing the same link that you may have saved to your tablet, laptop or cell phone: https://www.phila.gov/employee-screener/#/. 

Note: You will know that you are using the newly updated screening tool when you scroll to the very last question and see the vaccination status question. 

Reminder of Hours Type Changes 

Based on the resumed use of the hours type, please refer to the following table which provides guidance on when and how the hours types should be used: 

HERricane Summer Camp hosted by OEM 

The City’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is hosting the free HERicane summer camp from August 23-27 for Philadelphia girls aged 13 to 17 who are interested in learning more about emergency management. HERricane is a national program by the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) that provides women a means to explore careers in emergency management (as well as associated ones) while developing leadership skills, ensuring success in whatever path they choose. More information and application instructions can be found HERE. 

HERricane Philadelphia Camp 

Who: Girls aged 13 to 17 years old 

Camp Dates: August 23-27, 2021 

Application: https://i-diem.org/herricane/ 

Application and registration is required by August 6, 2021. The camp is free to participants but space is limited.  

To receive employee updates directly to your phone, email [email protected] with your email address and/or cell phone number.  

Employee Milestones 

Staff Promotions

Congratulations to the following Division of Aviation employees promoted in the month of July: 

Imad Haq, Airport Engineering Manager — Design & Construction

Niccole Cooper — Senior Departmental HR Associate , Human Resources

Shaqunna Duncan — Budget Officer, Finance

Kathy Padilla Honored by ACI-NA, Philadelphia Business Journal 

Congratulations to Deputy Director of Aviation for Diversity and Inclusion Kathy Padilla on two recent honors: the 2021 Leon C. Watkins “Guardian Award” for Excellence in Business Diversity from Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) and a 2021 Diversity Business Leader Award from Philadelphia Business Journal.  

The Guardian Award recognizes “a business diversity leader who has promoted the growth and evolution of minority- and women-owned businesses and suppliers, while also fostering the advancement of civil rights and equal opportunities for all within the airport business environment.” The award was presented to Kathy at a virtual awards ceremony in July. 

The Philadelphia Business Journal’s Diversity Business Leader Awards recognize 25 individuals from the Greater Philadelphia region “who have demonstrated success in their respective fields and made significant contributions through philanthropic endeavors”. Honorees were selected from public nominations. Awards will be presented at a virtual ceremony on August 26.

SEPTA Airport Line Weekend Bus Substitution  

SEPTA’s Southwest Connection Regional Rail Improvement Program will resume on August 7. Unlike previous years, this year’s projects will take place on weekends only, limiting bus substitution to August weekends only.  

To accommodate work on the Regional Rail lines, buses will replace trains on the Airport Line between 30th Street Station and all Airport stops on August 7-8, 14-15, 21-22 and 28-29. Buses will stop at departures terminals’ doors.  Look for the posted signs for shuttle bus stops.  Shuttle buses will operate hourly. To view the schedule, click here.

PHL Remembers 9/11 

The Division of Aviation, the TSA and the airport community will mark the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks at a remembrance ceremony in International Arrivals Hall at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 11, 2021.  

The Communications Department and the TSA are creating a video for PHL’s online newsroom and for the ceremony that features members of the airport community reflecting on the impact of the events of 9/11 on the aviation industry and themselves. If you were an airport employee on 9/11/01 and would like to share your experience, please email [email protected] before August 6. 

Security Updates

SIDA Badge Rules Reminder

The number of access control violations has increased sharply in the past six months.

• Employees have used other employees’ SIDA Badges to gain access to PHL’s secured areas because they either lost or had their badges deactivated
• Employees have followed employees who swipe their badge through a door without swiping themselves (“Piggybacking”)

Employees are required to use the SIDA Badges issued to themselves every time they use an access-controlled door at PHL. There are no exceptions for leaving a badge at home, losing a badge, or having a disabled badge.

Using another employee’s SIDA Badge and Piggybacking are serious infractions.

Every airport employee who misused another employee’s badge in the last six months was:

• Fined by the DOA (maximum $300 per violation)
• Fined by TSA (maximum $4,170 per civil penalty)
• Terminated by their respective employers

Common Questions

What if I am employed by more than one company at PHL?

• If you have multiple companies on your badge and stop working for one of them, your badge will be shut off. You must get a new badge to remove your former employer. Failure to do so will result in fines and possible badge privileges being revoked.

Whose SIDA Badge is it?

• SIDA Badges are the property of the City of Philadelphia, not the individual. Employees must return SIDA Badges upon separation from your employment.
• Employers, through their authorized signers, are responsible for collecting badges.
• Failure to comply may result in fines, suspension or revocation of access privileges, and ineligibility to obtain a SIDA badge in the future

Remember

All persons are subject to search when they enter any AIPORT designated restricted areas.

If you see suspicious activity OR security violations, report it immediately to Airport Police at 215-937-6711 or 6711 from a white courtesy phone.

Security at PHL is everyone’s responsibility.

Office Information Security Tips 

Welcome back! The entire Information Security Team wishes a warm welcome back to the entire PHL and PNE team. As everyone continues to get settled in their routines of coming into the office, or adjusting to having more colleagues walking around, we wanted to take a moment to remind everyone of some useful tips for returning to work. Security is important no matter where you are but being in the office and around the airport poses specific risks that may or may not have been as prevalent while working from home.  

• Always lock your computer when it is not in use. Whether you are running to the restroom, down the hall, or headed home for the day, always remember to lock your computer. Leaving computer screens open can allow passersby to see sensitive information, access emails, chats, browsing history, or other sensitive files. The easiest way to lock your computer screen is to press the Windows key and L key at the same time: 

• Never leave laptops or cell phones unattended in public areas. If you have your phone or laptop with you while walking around, always keep them on you. These devices can contain sensitive information and even leaving them alone for a few seconds make them easy targets for thieves to snag. Stolen devices pose a particularly high risk if they aren't password protected.  
• Do not use unknown removable devices you find lying around. USB drives, removable hard drives, and even cell phone chargers can be used to plant malware and viruses on devices. Only connect devices to your computer or phone that belong to you or are trusted.  
• Keep your desk and surrounding area clear of sensitive information. Usernames, passwords, financial or HR related documents should always all be kept secure. If you have sticky notes with your password taped to your monitor or under your keyboard, take a moment to dispose of those. With much of the airport returning to the office there are sure to be more eyes on your workspace. 
• Never connect to unknown WiFi. While roaming the airport you are bound to come across a plethora of WiFi signals. Be mindful to never connect your personal devices to unknown WiFi or your work devices to WiFi that is not operated by PHL's IT department. Doing so could result in stolen data, including passwords or documents, and expose your computer to malware. If you are unsure of what WiFi to use or how to connect, please contact the Help Desk at [email protected]. 
• Be on the lookout for phishing emails. Attackers are clever, they will follow local current events and try to exploit them. This may result in an uptick of phishing emails that regard the airport's return to the office. Always be wary of unexpected emails, especially those that ask you to click a link or open a file. Be sure to report any suspected phishes to Information Security by using the Phish Alert button or by forwarding the email directly to [email protected]. 

PHL Airport Art Program Unveils Exhibit Honoring BlackStar Film Festival’s 10th Anniversary  

The PHL Art Program unveiled a new exhibit celebrating the 10th anniversary of Philadelphia’s world-renowned BlackStar Film Festival with a ribbon cutting celebration on July 29.  

The BlackStar Film Festival is a celebration of the visual and storytelling traditions of the African diaspora and global communities of color and showcases films by Black, Brown, and Indigenous people from around the world. BlackStar elevates artists who are overlooked, invisibilized, or misunderstood and celebrates the wide spectrum of aesthetics, storytelling, and experiences that they contribute.   

"The airport is honored to present this retrospective exhibition that features photographic highlights of the film festival, which began in 2012,” said Leah Douglas, Director of PHL’s Guest Experience Department and Curator of the Airport Art Program. “As Philadelphia is the home of BlackStar, PHL proudly shares their mission and vision with the world. Happy 10th!"  

The exhibition includes select photos from each of the festivals from 2012 – 2020, pre-recorded music featuring Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists and a video edited by BlackStar. It is located near PHL’s A-East Terminal checkpoint and accessible to ticketed PHL passengers.     

"In celebration of BlackStar’s 10th anniversary, we are thrilled to share the incredible history of the organization through this new installation in partnership with Philadelphia International Airport,” said Maori Karmael Holmes, Artistic Director and CEO of BlackStar. “We are deeply grateful for the opportunity for this special behind-the-scenes look at the festival’s growth and evolution, and hope anyone interested joins us for the festival this August!"  

In addition to BlackStar’s annual film festival, the organization’s work includes year-round programming such as film screenings, exhibitions, a filmmaker seminar, film production lab and a journal of visual culture.   

The 2021 BlackStar Film Festival, featuring in-person and virtual events, will be held August 4-8. For information, visit blackstarfest.org/2021festival/. 

The latest from PHL's Online Newsroom

At the Airport:  

Welcome Back! Delta SkyClub at PHL Reopens  

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the temporary closure of clubs and lounges at PHL. The Delta Sky Club, located in the D/E link, is the most recent of these facilities to reopen its doors to PHL guests.    

PHL Volunteer Navigators Program Seeks Dedicated Team Members 

Every day, PHL Volunteer Navigators provide a vital customer experience by connecting passengers to the world, helping make PHL their connection of choice!  PHL is the first and last impression of the region for the traveling public, our team of Navigators help passengers find their gate and terminal, locate amenities and dining choices, understand transportation options, provide information on PHL attractions, and much more. 

Capital Development: 

PHL Celebrates Construction of Aircraft Parking Apron  

Representatives from the City of Philadelphia’s Division of Aviation and elected officials celebrated the construction of Philadelphia International Airport’s (PHL) new Remain Overnight (RON) aircraft parking apron at a groundbreaking on July 14. The apron is located on the northwest corner of PHL’s airfield, next to the FedEx facilities in Cargo City and on the former site of the USPS facility that was demolished in 2018. The $40 million project is expected to be completed in June 2022. 

Phase Three of PHL Restroom Renovation Program Completed  

Philadelphia International Airport's (PHL) Capital Development team recently completed phase three of the airport's Restroom Renovation Program. This phase of the multi-year, multi-million dollar program focused on the restrooms at Gates F-31 and F-25, Terminals D and E ticketing and Terminal D baggage claim. 

PHL Receives $18 Million FAA Airport Improvement Program Grant to Support Taxiway P Project  

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) was awarded an $18 million Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program grant for the airport’s project to realign Taxiway P to meet the FAA’s 500-foot runway-taxiway separation requirement for low visibility operations. Taxiway P is currently located 400 feet south of Runway 9L-27R. PHL’s project will realign Taxiway P between Taxiways U and N and increase the runway-taxiway separation to 633 feet.    

Airline News:  

PHL Welcomes American Airlines’ New Nonstop Service to Kingston, Jamaica  

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) passengers seeking a Caribbean getaway this fall will have another option beginning November 4, when American Airlines launches its nonstop service between PHL and Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) in Kingston, Jamaica. 

Operations & Security:  

Operations Superintendent Remembers 9/11 at PHL  

On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, Airport Operations Superintendent John Glass was sitting in his office at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) looking over inspection reports, construction activities, and a variety of daily operations-related matters that are routine at an airport. The day seemed set up to be an ordinary one for Glass who was then responsible for overseeing the day to day operations at PHL. Then, shortly after 8:45, Glass got a phone call from his wife telling him that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers in New York City. 

Working to Keep PHL’s Airfield Safe  

Debris on an airfield’s runways, taxiways and ramp areas poses safety hazards to individuals, aircraft and other equipment and can lead to accidents. To mitigate the hazards caused by foreign objects, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires airports to have a Foreign Object Debris (FOD) Management Plan. 

Preparing for Summer Weather Events at PHL  

When people think of weather and air travel, usually the first images that pop up are of plows and other apparatus clearing snow off runways and deicing liquid bathing aircraft on airport deicing pads. While it is true that winter weather operations and the related travel disruptions that often accompany it are a big deal and attract a lot of attention in cold weather cities like Philadelphia, summer weather can be just as significant in terms of its impact on air travel. 

Assisting Airlines and Airports in Stormy Weather: How PHL Accommodates Diverted Flights   

Spring and summer storms can make for long days for travelers and airport staff due to delayed, cancelled and diverted flights. On a recent stormy evening, PHL welcomed more than 20 planes that were headed to the New York City area but were forced to make weather-related stops before reaching their destinations. 

In the Community: 

Eastwick Community Garden: PHL’s Land and Neighbors’ Work Bring a Taste of the Farm to the City  

One might not envision a garden when thinking about the airport, but more than seven-and-a-half acres (7.64 to be exact) of Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) land at Bartram and Island Avenues in Southwest Philadelphia has served as the Eastwick Community Garden since the 1970s. The site is governed by the Eastwick Community Garden Association, which is comprised of local gardeners and board members. 

People at PHL:  

Airport Welcomes New PHL Volunteer Navigator Program Manager Christine Datesman