and, more importantly, offer staff the chance  to talk about their roles at the airports, what they like about their jobs and where they would like to see improvement.  

These interactions have been insightful, but they have not given me the opportunity to hear from all members of the DOA. To make sure everyone can be heard, we are launching an employee engagement survey administered by Flex.  

In the next few weeks, you will receive communications from Flex via email, Everbridge notifications and a QR Code posted in breakrooms. The initial communications will discuss the purpose of the survey and will be followed by a link to the anonymous 50-question survey.   

I cannot stress enough how important it is that everyone complete the survey. The airports cannot change for the better if just a few employees participate.  We need a good sampling of our community to respond, providing honest answers to the questions presented.  

I’m sure some of you have completed similar surveys, only to never hear about them when finished.  This will not be the case with the DOA. In order to have the trust of our employees, we need to be transparent. When the survey period ends, the results will be disseminated to staff. Our leadership will research solutions to  address issues that are identified. Changes will be made thoughtfully, over a period of time, and staff will be informed every step of the way.  We will also use this year’s results as a benchmark and plan to revisit the surveys every two years to track our progress.  

If you have any questions about the employee engagement surveys, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our HR team. Thank you in advance for participating. I am looking forward to reading the results and working with all of you to make the airports the best they can be for our passengers, our region and for our employees.  

Regards, 

Atif  

HR Updates

Updates to City COVID-19 Policy

Recently, the City’s Board of Health announced several changes to city-wide COVID-19 safety protocols that reflect Philadelphia’s on-going progress in mitigating the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, as of May 11, 2023, the federal government ended the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE).  Accordingly, the Chief Administrative Office announced significant updates to many of our COVID-19 safety protocols, which ensure they are aligned with both Federal and local COVID-19 safety recommendations.  Most notably:

1. updated masking requirements for unvaccinated employees
2. revised vaccination requirements for new employees
3. removed requirement for employees to do daily symptom screener
4. discontinue the advance of sick-time for COVID-19

We ask that you please review the details of the the updated policy thoroughly and direct any questions you may have to [email protected].

City Resource Group (CRG) and Airport Empowerment Group (AEG) Meetings

 CRGs

• AAPI: Meets on the last Thursday of every month. 
• Latindad: Meets on the fourth Thursday of every month.  
• LGBTQ+: Meets on the third Wednesday of every month.  
• New and Expecting Parents: Meets on the second Friday of each month.  
• Women of Color: Meets on the last Friday of each month.  

For questions about the City of Philadelphia City Resource Groups contact Brenna Schmidt at [email protected]. 

AEGs

• Young Professionals (YoPro): Meet on the last Tuesday of every month from noon to 1 PM. All DOA employees 40 and under are invited to attend. Email [email protected] for calendar invites.  

ABOUT CRGs & AEGs: Employee Resource groups are designed to ultimately make the City of Philadelphia and DOA more inclusive places to work. Focus areas include networking, talent development and enhancing diversity and inclusion strategies and initiatives. If you are interested in participating or leading an AEG at PHL/PNE, email your idea(s) to [email protected]. There must be five people and a leader for implementation. 

TO RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEE UPDATES DIRECTLY TO YOUR PHONE, EMAIL [email protected] WITH YOUR EMAIL AND/OR CELL PHONE NUMBER.

Training Calendar

 = Provided by the City of Philadelphia

= Provided by HR Training & Development

 New!!! Financial Monthly Challenge Alert!!!    

PHL WELL is inviting everyone to participate in our third monthly MONEY MADNESS CHALLENGE from Monday, June 26 until Friday, June 30. Please use this  $$$ Money Madness Savings Card as your guide to achieve each financial daily challenge goal. NO REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

Challenge Goal: These daily challenges will help us to redefine how we think about our money and the influences on how we save, spend, and manage our debt. 

Open to all. If you are interested in participating, all you have to do is follow the daily challenges on the above Savings card and accept the calendar invite that will go out to all DOA staff to attend our “Money Mindset” challenge check-in on Friday, June 30 at 12PM. 

NEW & COMING SOON

PHL WELL will host Brown Bag workshops throughout the 2023 PHL Workshop/Event Calendar.  

Workshops are open to all employees and no registration required. Simply accept the DOA calendar invite when you receive it and you're all set!

Penn Medicine | Mental Health Series  

Staff Promotions

Congratulations to the following staff members promoted in May 2023:

Bob Gizinski, Occupational Safety Administrator 1

Candace Pankey, Administrative Officer

Vincent Adamo, Airport Architectural Director

New Hires

Welcome to our new hires:

Carl Dauber, Painter 1

Christopher Bulloch, Semiskilled Laborer

Derek Williams, Work Study Intern (Airside)

Donnair Brown, Semiskilled Laborer

Leslee Etienne - Office Clerk

Md Mahamuduzzaman, Accountant Trainee

Michelle Bishop - Semiskilled Laborer

Thomas Earley, Painter 1

Information Security Update 

FAA Insider Threat Presentation

The TSA will conduct insider threat presentations on Monday, June 5^th and Wednesday, June 7^th at 2 International Plaza.  Space is now limited ("first come, first serve").  Below, you can find the available times and seating capacity. 

Please RSVP with the (1) date, (2) time, (3) number of requested seats and (4) employees' names, as soon as possible to [email protected].

Monday - June 05 2023 

10:00 AM – TSA Offices, 2 International Plaza, 6th floor,  Conference Room #6073 (26 Seats available) 

12:00 PM – TSA Offices, 2 International Plaza, 6th floor,  Conference Room #6073  (25 Seats available)

1:00 PM – TSA Offices, 2 International Plaza, 6th floor,  Conference Room #6073  (27 Seats available) 

2:00 PM – TSA Offices, 2 International Plaza, 6th floor,  Conference Room #6073  (30 Seats available)

Wednesday - June 07 2023

2:00 PM - TSA Offices, 2 International Plaza, 6th floor,  Conference Room #6073  (28 Seats available)

Everyone who holds a SIDA badge is encouraged to attend.  

The presentation is about 35-40 minutes in length and covers the following points:

1. What makes an insider a threat 
2. Case studies (examples)
3. The importance of reporting to local resources
4. A behind the scenes look at the TSA Insider Threat Program

Employees must have supervisory approval to attend.

PHL Food and Shops

National Donut Day 

Celebrate National Donut Day on June 2 with 15% off at Dunkin located in Terminal D and the D/E Connector via OrderatPHL.com. Code: DonutDay (vaild June 2 only)

PHL Food and Shops 25th Anniversary  

PHL Food and Shops is celebrating its 25th Anniversary on Tuesday, June 6 at the B/C Connector Stage at noon.  There will be giveaways and cupcakes along with select merchants in the B/C Connector offering discounts on that day.  OrderatPHL.com will be offering a 25% discount with code 25PHL. 

Summer Solstice 

Celebrate Summer Solstice with OrderatPHL.com on Wednesday June 6. Use code Summer23 for a 25% discount. 

Pride Month 

During the month of June, PHL Marketplace will celebrate Pride Month by highlighting LGBTQ+ authors. Employees and passengers will be able to enter to win a book from a selected list of LGBTQ+ authors. Tablets will be provided at the following locations: 

Evolve - A West 

Phila. Tribune - A East 

Stellar News - A East 

Heritage Books - B/C Connector

Phila. Tribune - Terminal D 

Hudson - D/E Connector

Stellar Books - D/E Connector 

Stellar News - Terminal E 

Hudson - Terminal F

To sign up for employee discounts, text PHLSHOPDINE to 267-550-0996. 

The Latest from PHL's Online Newsroom

At the Airport 

Department of Aviation Restarts Summer Internship Program 

The City of Philadelphia's Department of Aviation has relaunched its internship program for high school and college students. The program is led by Chevelle Harrison, the director of workforce development.

Flying from PHL this Summer? Here's Your 2023 Pre-Travel Checklist 

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is gearing up for its busiest summer since 2019 — more than four million passengers are expected to depart from the airport this June through August. PHL’s estimated summer traffic is over 12 percent higher than 2022.    

ROAM Fitness Opens Second Location at PHL 

Roam Fitness is a full-service fitness center and it’s scheduled to open in Terminal F at PHL in June!   

Capital Development 

PHL’s Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Training Facilities Upgraded 

Safety is of the upmost priority at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). One of the ways the airport remains prepared for emergencies and maintains the highest safety standards is through upgrading the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) unit's fire safety training equipment to the latest industry technology. These critical facility upgrades are part of PHL’s multi-billion-dollar capital development program. 

Airlines 

Coming to PHL: Spirit Nonstop Service to OAK 

California’s Bay Area has much to offer to visitors. Think driving through Wine Country, hiking through Yosemite National Park, boating on the Pacific, or taking in the art scene in San Francisco and Oakland. 

Happy 10th PHL-iversary Spirit Airlines! 

Let’s travel back in time to April 2013. Spirit Airlines was just taking off at PHL, offering passengers three daily departures to Dallas (DFW), Las Vegas (LAS) and Myrtle Beach (MYR), with an average of 534 daily seats.  

Fast forward 10 years—Spirit now serves 17 destinations from PHL (including Cancun, Montego Bay, and Punta Cana), with 19 average daily departures and 3,533 daily seats. 

American Airlines’ Seasonal Service Offers Fun Options for Both Coasts 

Summer travel season is finally here. Still trying to decide where to go? American Airlines has two summer seasonal routes from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) that offer fun and relaxation on the East and West Coasts

Operations & Security 

How are Flights Directed? 

Ever wonder how your flight is guided? There are hundreds of planes in the sky at any given moment and each one is closely monitored throughout its flight to ensure safety.   

Northeast Philadelphia Airport News 

PNE Activity 

Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) is Pennsylvania's fourth busiest airport. As a General Aviation Reliever Airport, PNE has no commercial flights. Instead, they primarily accommodate corporate and privately-owned aircraft with approximately 160-based aircrafts, dominated by single-engine aircrafts, plus twins, jets, turboprops, and helicopters. Operations include business, personal, instructional, and commercial flying.   

Reconstruction Schedules for PNE Taxiway L 

Northeast Philadelphia Airport’s (PNE) Taxiway L is scheduled for full-depth reconstruction to bring the infrastructure up to date and in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements. 

People at PHL 

PHL Impression Makers: Transdev Bus Operator Liza Johnson 

Transdev (formerly First Transit) Bus Operator Liza Johnson recently received the “Impression Makers” award from Philadelphia International Airport’s (PHL) Employee Recognition Program. This award recognizes customer-facing employees who provide direct customer service to passengers.

Celebrations for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at PHL 

On May 18, staff from across the Department of Aviation came together to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with East Meets Sweets, an event sharing a variety of AAPI desserts . Staff also participated in an origami-making demonstration at IP2 on May 24 and a virtual watercooler discussion on some of the Greater Philadelphia region's AAPI changemakers and resources for learning more about AAPI cultures on May 25.

PHL Impression Makers: Parkway Corporation Ground Transportation Associate Marie Belizaire 

Parkway Corporation’s Ground Transportation Associate, Marie Belizaire recently received the “Impression Makers” award from PHL's Employee Recognition Program. This award recognizes customer-facing employees who provide direct customer service to passengers.   

PHL Celebrates AAPI Month – American Airlines Crew Chief Buntha Chan 

PHL celebrated Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month by recognizing the contributions of AAPI airport employees, like American Airlines Crew Chief Buntha Chan. 

PHL Impression Makers: Piedmont – American Airlines Lobby Agent Tamika Lucas 

Piedmont – American Airlines Lobby Agent Tamika Lucas recently received the “Impression Makers” award from PHL's Employee Recognition Program. This award recognizes customer-facing employees who provide direct customer service to passengers.