are working hard on the airfield and in the terminals prepping for winter—especially any early season winter storms—and the anticipated increased year-end passenger volume.

We are still waiting for the final passenger volume for August, but we can report that we saw more than five million travelers in June and July. This year’s volume has outpaced 2020 and 2021. In addition to our normal leisure, we are seeing more business travel and our parking garages are almost full. All signs travel is coming back.

When you come into the airport, take time to walk through the terminals. You will see the results of some recently completed projects, including a new bathroom set in A-West with an adult changing area, and — opening this week—our first restroom with a built-in lactation suite.

You’ll also see several new PHL Food & Shops concessions across the airport. Over the summer, eight restaurants and retail shops opened and there are three more scheduled to open before the end of the year. It’s exciting that, after two years, the airport’s concessions are opening at a pace similar to 2017-19 and that all of the spaces that went out of lease term during the pandemic have been re-leased or are currently in the leasing process. Supporting our merchants is important and I hope you patronize these businesses while on-site.

There’s a lot going on at the airport. As always, thank you for your hard work every day.

Keith

HR Updates

Changes to COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Unvaccinated Employees 

On September 23, 2022, a panel handling the vaccination mandate arbitration for Lodge 5 of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) issued an award that discontinues the routine testing requirement for unvaccinated employees receiving an exemption to the City’s vaccination mandate.  This change is extended to all City employees effective immediately.  While testing is discontinued at this time, the award will allow the City to reinstitute the practice should conditions change.  Stayed tuned for additional updates. As we enter flu/cold season, spikes in COVID-19 cases are likely to occur. 

Rework Reminders 

• Covid-19 exposures and confirmed cases should still be reported to [email protected]. 
• Employees should avoid close contact, confined or closed spaces and crowded places. 
• Employees are still required to complete the online daily screener before staring each on-site shift and contact the Safety Office if they receive any work  status codes other than an E1 clearance. The link to the screening tool is https://www.phila.gov/employee-screener/#/questionnaire. 
• Supervisors should receive a valid work status code for all employees on duty for each shift, taken on the date as the assigned work shift.  
• Masking while in vehicles with 2 or more occupants is still required for all employees.  
• Masking while working indoors is strongly recommended as well as distancing and practicing hand hygiene. 
• Employees with approved exemptions from the vaccine mandate must continue to double mask or wear a N95 or equivalent mask at all times while  working. 

Upcoming City Resource Group Meetings 

Email [email protected] for information on how to join! 

ABOUT CRGs: City Resource Groups (CRGs) are designed to ultimately make the City of Philadelphia a more inclusive place to work. All CRGs must align with the three focus areas including: networking, talent development and enhancing diversity & inclusion strategies and initiatives. 

If you are interested in participating or leading a Resource Group at PHL/PNE, email your ideas to [email protected]. You must have five people and a leader to implement.

Deferred Comp Educational Workshops 

City of Philadelphia Combined Campaign - Philly Gives Together (stratuslive.com) 

The City of Philadelphia Employees’ Combined Campaign is the City’s workplace giving program. The Campaign gives employees and retirees the opportunity to contribute to pre-approved charities using the convenience of payroll deduction, credit card, and personal check. Simply put, through this Campaign, you can positively affect your community.  

The Campaign ends November 25, 2022. This annual charitable giving program is purely voluntary and a personal decision; however, one of the City’s core values is to give back to local communities. The Campaign is a manifestation of those values because it provides employees and retirees with an opportunity to make a collective impact.   

TO DONATE:  

1. Access the online fillable pledge form on the giving portal: HERE  OR 
2. Submit cash, money order or personal check to Zoraida Antonetty (‘Z’) in the Executive Offices Terminal D, 3rd Floor OR Gloria McNeil in HR: Terminal E, 3rd Fl.  Money orders and/or checks must be made payable to “Combined Campaign”.  PHL contractors are also able to contribute as a onetime gift! 

STEP IT UP CHALLENGE!  

Join us in congratulating the following employees for joining the Step It Up Challenge!  Over the past two weeks, our teams have walked over 2.5 million steps! Give them a shout out next time you see them walking around! Here are our teams:

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Shannon Clark (captain), Keith Brune, Susan Bailey, Alec Gever, and Mae Mitchell have walked over 800,000 steps! 

SNEAKERNET: Damian Oravez (captain), Peter Yong, Wayne Lawrence, and Anthony Alfonse have walked over 700,000 steps! 

Ledger Lovers: Isis Wright (captain), Dominique Randall, Janice Mirarchi, Cassandra Williams, Joann Mattei have walked over 500,00 steps! 

MOVERS & Shakers: Elizabeth Moselle (captain), Megan O’Connell, Nicole Maddox, Kate Sullivan and Leah Douglas have walked over 400,000 steps! 

Walking Beyond Differences: Angela Smith (captain), Kim Tram, David Wilson and Camille Crawley have walked over 240,000 steps! 

“COMMS”unity Steps: Shawn Hawes (captain), Heather Redfern, Dave Rosenberg and Wafai Dias have walked over 240,000 steps! 

Wild About Walking: Linda Ivey (captain), Delicsha Wilds, Latia White, Ashlee Franklin, and Stacey Lennon have walked over 200,000 steps! 

Honoring National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

For National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re partnering with Susan G. Komen to share information with you on breast health, including the warning signs and symptoms of breast cancer, as well as resources about breast cancer for you or someone you know.  When you support Komen, you are helping people like Ginina, and countless others.

Ginina’s Breast Cancer Story

One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. 

Ginina was in early 20s when she first found a lump in her breast. She had a mammogram, a breast ultrasound and a biopsy. While the lump was ultimately not cancerous, Ginina’s doctor advised her to have yearly exams moving forward. 

Then in March 2021, Ginina learned she had stage 1 breast cancer. She was 44. “I have always thought that someday, I was probably going to hear I had breast cancer,” she said.  

Ginina has embraced a healthy lifestyle. She eats well, exercises and pays attention to her health. “My daughter runs track and, when I participate in the Walks for Susan G. Komen, she does, too,” Ginina said.    

It’s important to know the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, to understand your risk of developing breast cancer and to be aware of what’s normal for you. Talk with your health care professional about healthy lifestyle choices you can make. 

Komen has resources available in various languages to help you learn more about breast cancer and help your loved ones.

• About Breast Cancer provides information on facts and statistics, risk factors, screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and so much more. You can also download Komen’s educational materials here.
• Learn how to help someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
• See this list for other helpful resources, including Susan G. Komen’s Breast Care Helpline.

Give Blood, Help Save Lives

The Division of Aviation is partnering with the American Red Cross for a blood drive on Thursday, October 27, from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. in the airport Tour Room in the C/D Terminal Link. To schedule an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code Philadelphia Airport. 

For more information, contact Pam Johnson at 215-863-4025. For complete event details, click here.

Staff Promotions

Congratulations to Eric Mikos, who was promoted to Airport Communications Services Supervisor and to Shawn Hawes, who was promoted to Departmental Public Relations Supervisor, in September 2022.

New Hires 

Welcome to the new Division of Aviation employees who were hired in the month of September 2022.

• Albert Williams - Semi-Skilled laborer
• Christopher Krapp - Engineering Intern
• Dana Myers - Custodial Worker 1
• Dhameer Taylor - Custodial Worker 1
• Edgar Vesga – Director of Air Service Development & Cargo Services
• Eduardo Matos – Semi-Skilled Laborer
• Gilberto Narvaez – Semi-Skilled Laborer
• Louis Wilson – Semi-Skilled Laborer
• Mohammad Azad - Engineering Intern
• Theodore Caldwell - Custodial Worker 1

Calling All Division of Aviation Military Veterans

The Communications team is preparing a "Salute to Our Veterans" video to honor Division of Aviation staff that served in the U.S. Armed Forces. The video will be posted on the airport's social media accounts on Veterans Day. All employees that served in the military are invited to participate. Please email your name to [email protected] by Friday, October 7.  

Staff Reminder:

To receive notifications and emergency updates from the Everbridge Alert System directly on your device, send your email or telephone number to [email protected]. 

UPDATE: Register Now for New Bartram Avenue & Cargo City Employee Lots Access System

The new Employee Parking Lot access system will be activated on or before October 15, 2022. Airport SIDA badges will no longer be used to access the Bartram Avenue and Cargo City lots. To facilitate a smooth transition to the new system airport employees are strongly encouraged to register ASAP for an online parking account and pick up a Parking Access Card (PAC) & vehicle hangtag from Parkway Customer Care Center, located in Terminal A East Baggage Claim.

Please scan the QR Code below and provide registration information as instructed. ALL employees must provide a picture of their SIDA badge (or Company ID) with the employee parking lot authorization form).

For more information, scan the QR code to the below or visit: https://www.parkwaycorp.com/airport-services/employee-parking.

For Questions, contact Parkway Corp. Customer Care Center, Terminal A East Baggage Claim, at [email protected] or 215-863-4054.

October means once again – It’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month!

PHL users continue to impress with their cyber-savvy skillsets. Some fun stats:

• Year-to-date, PHL users have flagged close to 400 suspicious emails for review.
• PHL users perform 38% better than our peers in the Transportation Industry when performing periodic phish test exercises! *Source: PHL Security Training Platform.

We are excited to participate in CISA’s (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) annual campaign to increase cybersecurity online, at work, and at home by taking a few basic steps.

This year’s theme from the CISA organization is – See Yourself in Cyber Throughout the month of October, get to know the basics of cybersecurity at cisa.gov/cybersecurity-awareness-month. This is a great resource for the PHL community and provides ways to learn and test your knowledge about:

• Enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all important online activities to provide an additional layer of security
• Using a trusted password manager and strong passwords
• Recognizing and reporting phishing attacks which can infect your machine with malware
• Updating software to ensure the most current protection

Be on the lookout for helpful materials throughout the month, including:

• Email Newsletters
• Cybersecurity training materials
• Office posters and digital displays

In the end, the security we place around our airport is only as strong as you! PHL encourages you to check out the material we will promote during the month of October via email and throughout the offices. We also encourage you to visit the CISA website, check out their Tips Sheets, and share them with your coworkers, family, and friends. And finally – thank you for all you do to keep us secure!

PHL Food and Shops Update

Over the summer, PHL welcomed several new and returning merchants: Bud and Marilyn's (top of Terminal C), 1920 Merch Co. (B/C Connector), Lily Palmer Flowers and Gifts (B/C Connector), Win Kitchen (Terminal F), Onsite News (Terminal C), Desigual (Terminal A-West), Beauty on the Fly (D/E Connector) and Chick-fil-A (Terminal E).

The Latest from PHL's Online Newsroom: 

At the Airport

PHL's 5K Run On The Runway Recap

On what many would call a perfect day to run, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) reintroduced the 5th 5K Run the Runway to runners and walkers. The participants were greeted by eager Division of Aviation staff who quickly signed in almost 400 competitors and distributed electronic bibs and t-shirts.

Menzies Aviation Selected as New Cargo Ground Handler at Philadelphia International Airport

The Division of Aviation and Aviation Facilities Company (AFCO) announced that they will be partnering with Menzies Aviation as a new cargo ground handler at the airport and with Kale Logistics Solutions as the technology solution provider for the airport’s cargo community system.

Capital Development

PHL-PNE 10th Annual Business Opportunity Forum

Philadelphia International and Northeast Philadelphia Airports (PHL/PNE) hosted its 10^th Annual Business Opportunity Forum (BOF) on Friday, September 30. Small and diverse businesses from the Philadelphia area met virtually to understand the dynamics of doing business at PHL, learn about anticipated opportunities, and network with airport leadership and prime contractors. Read more HERE!

SEPTA Airport Line Platform Rehabilitation Project Kicks Off

On September 9, Division of Aviation, SEPTA, and local and elected officials gathered on PHL's Terminal D/E Regional Rail platform for a ground-breaking ceremony for the SEPTA Platform Rehabilitation project.

FAA Airport Improvement Program Funds Safety, Sustainability and Passenger Experience at PHL and PNE

In July and August, the Division of Aviation received over $4.6 million in funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program for two exciting projects: $1,836,063 for the Voluntary Airport Low Emissions Program (VALE) infrastructure program at PHL, and $2,784,537 for the Taxiway L Pavement Rehabilitation program at PNE.

People at PHL

City of Philadelphia Division of Aviation Announces Christina Saggiomo as New Airport Treasury Manager

The Division of Aviation has announced Christina Saggiomo as the new Airport Treasury Manager.

PHL Impression Makers: British Airways Customer Service Agent Margarita Thomas

British Airways Customer Service Agent Margarita Thomas recently received the “Impression Makers” award in PHL’s Employee Recognition Program. This award recognizes customer-facing employees who provide direct customer service to passengers.  

PHL Impression Makers: Philadelphia Parking Authority Lot Attendant Supervisor Messan Amlon

Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) Lot Attendant Supervisor Messan Amlon recently received the “Impression Makers” award in the airport's Employee Recognition Program. This award recognizes customer-facing employees who provide direct customer service to passengers.  

PHL Caring Support: Airport Police Officer William Karley

Airport Police Officer William “Billy” Karley recently received the “Caring Support” award in PHL’s Airport Employee Recognition Program. This award recognizes employees who provide exceptional care and services to passengers.  

PHL Teamwork Makes the Teamwork: American Airlines Customer Service Supervisor Marcia McLeod-Fraser

American Airlines Customer Service Supervisor Marcia McLeod-Fraser was recognized in the “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work” category of the airport's Employee Recognition Program. This distinction acknowledges employees who create a positive experience for guests through service and delivery while collaborating with other organizations.