PHL gets $20.4 million in federal funds to upgrade infrastructure
The airport is one of many in the country that will receive funds made possible through the Biden administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve aging infrastructure.
Philadelphia International Airport will receive $20.4 million in federal funds toward upgrading the airport’s HVAC and electrical systems, elected officials announced on Friday.
“We deeply appreciate this latest example of the Biden-Harris administration and Congress investing in Philadelphia’s infrastructure,” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said in a statement. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act has resulted in tens of millions of dollars coming to Philadelphia in just the last month alone.”
The funding is made available through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Airport Terminals Program, which was created by the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program provides funding to projects that address aging infrastructure at airports across the country. Since launching in 2022, the program has allocated $1 billion to support projects annually through 2026.
“We’re thrilled to receive this funding that allows us to advance our modernization efforts at PHL to improve energy efficiency, replace aging infrastructure, and reduce carbon emissions,” airport CEO Atif Saeed said in a statement.
Specifically, the funding will be used to perform work on rooftop ventilation and space-conditioning units at several terminals, baggage claims and ticket areas, and pedestrian bridges. The units help “maintain occupants’ comfort and indoor air quality,” PHL spokesperson Heather Redfern said.
The airport also plans to rehabilitate three mechanical rooms, with funding going to the replacement of air handlers and water piping and pumps.
The upgrades are part of the airport’s terminal energy optimization program. The project includes replacing air units and ground power units, and upgrading the electrical substation and thermal plants in Terminal A-West, according to a statement last year from PHL. The new funding will be used to support the second phase of that program, Redfern said.
The program, which also aims to improve the local air quality, received $15 million in federal funds last year.
“This is not only an investment in a safer and more energy efficient airport experience but an investment in the future success of an economic linchpin of Southeastern Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth,” U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D, Pa.), said in a statement.
PHL has received more than $347 million in federal funds since 2021 with this new investment, according to Casey’s office. In recent years federal funds have been allocated to PHL’s bathroom renovation project, which when completed will bring an additional 13,000 square feet of bathroom space to the airport, and add 35 stalls by 2028.
Staff writer Nick Vadala contributed to this article.