The City of Philadelphia Department of Aviation has announced that they have been awarded $30 million by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through their Fiscal Year 2023 Airport Terminal Program grants.

Funding was secured in 2021 through the passing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, along with PHL being one of 99 airports in the U.S. to receive nearly $1 billion in the 2023 fiscal year FAA Airport Terminal Funding.

With this funding, the Philadelphia International Airport will carry out its Restroom Renovation Program and the first phase of their Terminal Energy Optimization Program (TEOP).

“Thank you to the FAA for selecting PHL’s Restroom Renovations Program and TEOP for Airport Terminal Program grants. This funding is a significant investment in PHL’s future and will be an immeasurable help in our efforts to enhance the guest experience by creating a modern, sustainable airport,” said City of Philadelphia Department of Aviation CEO Atif Saeed. 

“On behalf of the Department of Aviation team, I also express my appreciation to the elected officials, especially Governor Shapiro, Mayor Kenney, Senator Casey, Senator Fetterman and Congresswoman Scanlon, as well as our regional stakeholders, who supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” he continued.

The Restroom Renovation Program seeks to modernize PHL's restrooms and is scheduled to be completed in 2028. PHL received $15 million to support Phases 5-9 of the program, and received $24 million from the FAA Airport Terminal Program in the 2022 fiscal year. 

The end result is to provide smart restroom technology that will optimize maintenance schedules, provide private nursing suites, service animal relief areas, and adult changing rooms.

PHL's TEOP received the other $15 million to improve energy efficiency, replace the current aging infrastructure, and reduce carbon emissions while improving local air quality. 

This will be done through the replacement of preconditioned air and ground power units at 25 gates across the airport, the use of LED lighting in both terminals and roadways; and upgrade 15 air handling units, the electrical substation, and thermal plants in Terminal A-West, keeping infrastructure up-to-date.

“We are focused on projects that will help our airports meet the City of Philadelphia’s carbon neutrality goal and the TEOP does just that. It’s a grouping of select terminal elements that together achieves a large goal including enhancing the guest experience” said Api Appulingam, Deputy Director of Aviation, Capital Development.