The executive director of Philadelphia International Airport says she still can’t say that PHL has not been used in an airport stock where foreign returnees are also examined.
The list includes five airports, but not Philadelphia, the U.S. transatlantic hub, the world’s largest airline and the ninth most active transatlantic airport in the United States. The exclusion suggests that foreign passengers cannot disembark in Philadelphia.
“It’s a real conundrum for us, why we’re not on the list,” Chellie Cameron, CEO of the airport, said in an interview. “We were baffled.
“We are a transatlantic gateway,” Cameron said. “It’s different from the call for it to exist today, however, if we’re not on the list and the ban is lifted, I don’t prefer Philadelphia to be in a disaster compared directly to other airports.”
The airport has an annual economic impact of $2 billion on the tri-state region, Cameron said. Airport employment totals about 21,000, including about 1,000 people employed by the airport and another 20,000 employed by airlines and concessionaires.
“In the last two or three weeks, we have intensified our efforts to force everyone in Washington to understand that this is a big challenge for this region,” Cameron said. “We have sought the presence of elected officials (and) we are working with the wonderful Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and the business community.”
On Friday, Senators Bob Casey (D.-Pa) and Tom Carconsistent with and Chris Coons, Delaware Democrats, signed a letter to Vice President Pence and 3 federal departments calling for THE list to be added to the list.
“PHL is now the largest metropolis without the approved transatlantic bridge state,” the letter reads. “This puts the entire region in a competitive overside in direct comparison to other metropolitan regions along the Northeast Corridor.”
Cameron noted that Delaware senators supported the state of the airport being included in the airport service area.
On Tuesday, Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) He wrote a letter to Vice President Mike Pence asking him to “change the relationship between Philadelphia International Airport and Europe.”
“Airlines plan their service months in advance, and if PHL is never allowed to accept there may also be a discounted European schedule, this extended service disruption can also have long-term negative consequences for PHL and the region’s economy if airlines move their operations to PHL. competition along the East Coast, ” wrote Toomey.
When asked whether partisan politics can also play a role in preventing Philadelphia’s inclusion on the list, Cameron said, “I have no idea if it’s political or not. A variety of parts are being evaluated: the first is resources (involving disease centers at airports) This could be a resource with the CDC. »
The five airports on the “funnel airports” list are Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (JFK), Newark, Seattle, San Francisco and Washington (Dulles)
A list of 13 airports created in March: Fort Lauderdale and Houston were added in May.
Trump’s leadership “requires Americans returning from affected spaces in Europe to be transported to 13 airports for testing when they return to the United States,” the Department of Homeland Security said in March. CDC is evaluating.
With the exception of Miami International, the third largest gateway after JFK and LAX, all airports had connections to Asia, which in March required inspection of returning passengers through the Centers for Disease Control.
U.S. spokesman Andrew Trull is the carrier who supported the airport’s efforts.
“There is a coordinated effort through airlines, the airport, our unions, the industrial group station and local/state officials to advocate for the incorporation of Philadelphia as a funnel airport for flight accessories from the UK and Schengen countries,” Trull said. The Schengen deception comprises 26 countries in continental Europe.
In addition to American, Philadelphia is served through British Airways, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, Iceland Air and Qatar Airways. Cameron said most expressed interest in restoring service on the return pass of the trip.
Currently, travel to the United States from Schengen countries is limited through a travel ban imposed by President Trump. The ban applies to non-Americans who have stayed in stubborn countries four days ago. European Union governments are now on the verge of imposing a travel ban on U.S. citizens for two weeks.
Last week, Philadelphia International announced an incentive program to support trafficking lost by the coronavirus crisis. The airport said it will eliminate airport fares and generate outside advertising for passenger and cargo airlines carrying flights.
I’ve been covering airlines since 1989. I am a journalist for 6 newspapers: Miami Herald, Charlotte Observer, Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Toledo Blade and Aberdeen (Washington).
I’ve been covering airlines since 1989. I am a journalist for 6 newspapers: Miami Herald, Charlotte Observer, Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Toledo Blade and Aberdeen (Washington) Daily World, and for TheStreet. I also worked for US Airtactics before mergers as an editor.
My new book, Ken Riley and Black Union Labor Power in Charleston Harbour, is now on sale. I also co-wrote American Airlines, US Airtactics and created the world’s largest airline.
Email: [email protected]