PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It may not be the Caribbean or another exotic location but according to local officials, Philadelphia is expected to be one of the most sought out travel destinations this summer.
Now, Philadelphia International Airport is getting ready to roll out the red carpet for the millions of travelers passing through its gates this summer, even as fuel costs rise.
“From FIFA World Cup matches to America's 250th birthday celebration and the MLB All-Star Game, PHL expects this summer to be literally one of the busiest in our 81-year history,” said Philadelphia International Airport’s interim CEO, Tracy Borda.
Chief Strategy Officer Cassie Schmid said the airport is beefing up its presence, to better welcome the 9.4 million passengers expected to come through their gates this summer.
“Our customer care team and our ambassadors have an increased presence in the terminal, engaging passengers and increasing the excitement that is felt in the terminal during the summer,” said Schmid.
The airport will also have local musicians on deck as part of their “Live at PHL” musical performance series, more food options that cater to an international crowd and an array of exhibitions to give people a taste of the city — as well as soccer and baseball simulators.
While PHL officials do not want to speculate on the potential impact of rising jet fuel costs on summer travel, they still anticipate receiving record crowds.
“The thing that we can say at this point is that we are still anticipating the largest international schedule that we ever had,” said Chief Commercial Officer Kate Sullivan, “and one of the largest domestic schedules that we’ve had in more than 20 years.”
More than 9 million travelers expected to fly into PHL between July and August this year
More than 9 million travelers expected to fly into PHL between July and August this year
