PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As city leaders gathered Wednesday to tout the economic impact of Philadelphia International Airport on the region, an annual survey released on the same day ranked the airport dead last in customer satisfaction — again.
At the city's first “State of the Airport” event at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Mayor Cherelle Parker joined airport officials in trumpeting the $18.7 billion annual impact the airport has on the regional economy.
“Whether you travel or not, our airports have a wide-reaching impact on all of us,” Parker said.
American Airlines executive Nate Gatten told the gathering that more foot traffic inside the airport means more revenue. American is the airport's largest carrier.
“Many of these travelers, as I've said, never step foot outside the airport,” Gatten said, “and my core message to you today is that you need to understand and care deeply about these connecting passengers.”
But as they say, timing is everything. The impact report was released on the same day that J.D. Power's customer satisfaction survey placed PHL last among large airports for the fourth year in a row.
“As acknowledged by J.D. Power themselves, the primary reason is the overall age of our infrastructure,” Philadelphia Aviation Department CEO Atif Saeed said at the event. “Our newest terminal is over 20 years old; others, nearly 50; and some even older.”
Saeed wasn't available for questions after the event, but the airport’s public affairs manager, Heather Redfern, said PHL has a half-billion dollars’ worth of improvement projects underway as 2026 approaches, from improving signage and restrooms to adding furniture with built-in device chargers in the gate holding areas.
Parker praised the ongoing restroom upgrades. "Those bathrooms are better," she said. "That airport is looking amazing."
In the long term, an airport master plan recognizes the need for more gates and larger terminals by 2040 to meet increasing demand.