Runway expansion preps PHL carriers for long-haul route development

Philadelphia Airport (PHL) celebrated the completion of a five-year project that included the extension of one of the airport’s two main runways and construction of several new taxiways. The 1,500-foot expansion of the runway to 12,000 feet now enables the airport to accommodate the newest fleet of large aircraft that are popular on many long-haul international routes to Asia and other destinations to which carriers at the airport are seeking to add service, according to PHL.

In addition to the expansion of the runway, PHL also saw the addition of 10,300 feet in new and realigned taxiways, which are intended to provide more space for planes to queue and improve overall airfield traffic.

The project was funded through a combination of federal and state grants, as well as passenger facility charges and other airport revenue sources.

“The completion of this effort represents not only the extension of a runway and an expansion of taxiways. This project is about something bigger, which is about connecting Philadelphia to the world,” Philadelphia City Mayor Jim Kenney said. “Infrastructure investments like this project make PHL a serious contender in the global aviation industry.”

This news is the first of several developments air cargo stakeholders can expect from PHL, as the airport also announced plans last year to acquire land with the intent of developing a new, massive airfreight complex.

See an image of the expanded runway below.

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