Pennsylvania’s third-busiest airport is located right here in the Northeast.
Northeast Philadelphia Airport covers 1,150 acres and is home to about 185 aircraft. The airport supports some 2,800 jobs and is estimated to have an annual $477 million economic impact.
Atlantic Aviation offers a variety of services to private- and corporate-owned aircraft, and the airport is home to five flight schools and the Aviation Institute of Maintenance.
Tenants include Philly Soccer, Hayes Playground, the Wawa at Grant and Blue Grass and the North American headquarters of Leonardo, a major helicopter manufacturer.
The control tower, staffed by the FAA, operates daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. There are about 123,000 takeoffs and landings per year.
“It’s a great airport,” said Operations Manager John Brewer.
And Brewer, who has worked at the airport for more than 32 years, said it’s about to get better. There are several capital projects underway, at a cost of more than $28 million, paid for with a mix of local, state and federal money.
The administration building is being renovated, with an expected ribbon cutting in December. For now, staff are in a temporary trailer. The project is designed to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification for its sustainable design and construction. Green design efforts include solar panels on the roof, sustainable building materials, low-flow fixtures, energy-efficient LED lighting, thermostats for each office, two EV chargers, a rack for 25 bicycles and a cutting-edge geothermal HVAC system. It’s the first renovation pursuing LEED certification being led by the Department of Aviation.
In addition, a runway and taxiway are being rehabilitated, along with new perimeter fencing and four new vehicle gates. And a solar farm will be installed.
All of those improvements are coming to an airport that welcomes executives from major companies and is home to medical flights, including those for the Gift of Life organ donation program.
“There are so many uses and values of the airport,” Brewer said.
The airport’s community engagement initiatives include a semiannual newsletter, youth tours, career day events, visits to schools and volunteerism at Caring for Friends and Pegasus Riding Academy.
“We just want to be a good neighbor,” said Keesha Lane, Director of Community Engagement and Outreach.
Lane invites schools interested in a partnership or people who want to receive the newsletter to email her at Keesha.Lane@phl.org
Airport officials are aware that some neighbors have concerns about aircraft flying and making turns over houses, and residents have complained about the high number of middle-of-the-night, touch-and-go training flights, which mostly come from Trenton Mercer Airport.
Officials are working to resolve the issues, all while following federal guidelines.
“We’re going to continue to listen,” said Chief Operating Officer Greg Phillips.
In addition to the future solar farm and the LEED Gold Certification for the new administrative building, PNE has achieved Level 3 Airport Carbon Accreditation for its dedication to advanced environmental sustainability. Only 27 American airports, including Philadelphia International, have achieved the distinction.
Phillips said Northeast Airport, in all ways, adheres to Mayor Cherelle Parker’s mission to make Philadelphia “the safest, cleanest and greenest big city in the nation with access to economic opportunity for all.”
“This is what this airport is all about,” Phillips said.
Northeast Airport is home to, among others, Tailwinds Academy of Aviation, a nonprofit flight school. Back in 2019, then-Frankford High principal Michael Calderone approached Tailwinds founder and executive director Howard Cooper to explore providing flight training to students enrolled in the school’s aviation academy. The partnership took flight in 2022, giving Tailwinds a new mission – opening the skies of opportunity for Philadelphia youth by providing them with flight-training scholarships.
“We’re the only school in the country that does this,” said Cooper, who is hoping for an FAA workforce grant to expand the program to other high schools.
Jonathan Suarez has been coming to Tailwinds since 2022. A 2024 Frankford graduate, he has earned certifications for private and commercial piloting, instrument rating, flight instructor and flight instructor – instrument.
“I have a job offer from Piedmont (Airlines), and that’s the next path in my career,” Suarez said.
The Aviation Institute of Maintenance has 15 campuses, including one at Northeast Airport. There are day, evening and weekend classes, and the program lasts 21 months. Campus executive director Stephanie Makhoul said well-paying jobs are available in the field for aviation mechanics.
Makhoul welcomes interested students to fill out the “Request Info Now” form at https://aviationmaintenance.edu/campuses/philadelphia-pa/
“Usually, the school sells itself,” Makhoul said.
The flight schools and the Aviation Institute are part of an airport that provides jobs, significant economic impact, access to corporate and private travel, with improvements ongoing.
“If this airport did not exist, a lot of big transactions would not be getting done in the city,” Brewer said. ••
For more information, visit phl.org/PNE
