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Airport leaders defend FY2027 budget, say PHL ready for summer travel and large events; Council presses on ICE, TSA and DBE re‑evaluations
Summary
City aviation officials told the Committee of the Whole that Philadelphia International and Northeast Philadelphia airports will run as self‑sustaining enterprise funds in FY2027 and presented plans for terminal upgrades, a 1.5‑MW solar farm and expanded small‑business outreach. Council members pressed departments on recent TSA checkpoint closures, a temporary ICE presence and ongoing DBE/ACDBE re‑evaluations.
Tracy Borta, interim chief executive officer and chief financial officer for the Department of Aviation, told City Council’s Committee of the Whole that the airports’ FY2027 operating request is meant to support terminal modernization, sustainability initiatives and workforce development while remaining an enterprise fund independent of local tax dollars.
The department’s testimony emphasized passenger growth ahead of a busy summer and said staffing has recovered to more than 900 employees with an 8% vacancy rate. “We are an enterprise fund operating efficiently with no local tax dollars independent of the city's general fund,” Borta said. She told council the department expects to invest in more than $500 million in upgrades at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and highlighted PHL’s concessions program and a focus on contracting with local small businesses.
Why it matters: the testimony frames the airports as revenue‑funded assets that still require investment to handle surges in travel tied to major events and new international routes. Council members used the hearing to press operational and equity questions that bear on service, safety and local economic benefit.
Key exchanges and details
• TSA checkpoint closures and ICE deployment: Council President Johnson asked about the March closures of several TSA checkpoints and whether those incidents had material financial impact on the Department of Aviation. Borta said operations mobilized to reopen checkpoints quickly, that average wait times in Philadelphia were generally lower than national hotspots (she estimated typical waits around 20 minutes and a single‑day peak near 50 minutes during the disruption), and that the department had operational protocols to move badge holders to separate checkpoints so employees were not mixed into passenger lines. “We never saw some of the wait times that were being witnessed around the country,” Borta said.
On federal officers, Borta said ICE officers were deployed to provide queue management support at selected airports and described them as “supportive of queue management” while adding that Philadelphia expected the officers to depart imminently. Council members including Kendra Brooks and others raised concerns about the immigrant workforce; Borta said she had sent a letter to more than 17,000 badge holders to explain the deployment and reiterated that airports would continue training and outreach.
• Security for large events and human trafficking training: Greg Phillips, chief operating officer for the Department of Aviation, said the airport has operational plans and active‑shooter drills and is coordinating with the Philadelphia Police Department, FBI, Customs and Border Protection and TSA in preparation for FIFA and other large events. Phillips also described an ongoing human‑trafficking education program for badge holders and signage throughout terminals.
• Procurement, DBE/ACDBE re‑evaluation and small business outreach: Dietris Isaac, vice president for procurement, described a federally required re‑evaluation of DBE/ACDBE certifications that has required about 100 applications to be re‑reviewed at PHL. Isaac said the airport is running outreach sessions for vendors and trying to “right‑size” contracts so smaller, local firms can participate. She added the airport will continue to pursue federal small‑business opportunities while the certification re‑evaluation is pending.
• Solar farm at Northeast Philadelphia Airport: Ayolingum, the department’s chief development officer, said the airport issued an RFP and selected Reactivate LLC to build, operate and maintain a 1.5‑megawatt solar farm on about 10 acres at Northeast Philadelphia Airport. The department expects construction to begin in January 2027 and to finish in December 2027; the project is intended to support the airport’s carbon accreditation goals.
What’s next: Council members asked for follow‑up materials and for written answers on operational impacts and coordination with federal partners. The hearing recessed with officials agreeing to provide details in writing and to continue the conversation in follow‑ups.
