The City of Phoenix Aviation Department is hosting a virtual Aviation Business Summit on Feb. 22 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., with a bonus Bidding Bootcamp workshop on Feb. 23 hosted in partnership with the Equal Opportunity Department and the Arizona Chapter Associated General Contractors of America.
The two-day event is designed to give interested businesses the opportunity to learn, network, and understand the tools available for doing business with Sky Harbor, Deer Valley, and Goodyear airports.
Some of the topics covered at this year’s event will include a review of upcoming business opportunities, information on our procurement process, a review of the different certification programs, and training on how to navigate our badging process.
The event will also have opportunities to network and interact virtually with City staff, community partners and businesses partners through virtual exhibitor booths.
Quick Actions by TSA Officers Save Life
Last year, several TSA agents worked together to save the life of a traveler who experienced a medical issue at one of our security checkpoints. Their quick thinking is why the traveler is OK today.
Read more about the heroic efforts of these TSA agents.
Brad Holm Retires
Assistant Aviation Director and General Counsel Brad Holm retired at the end of December. He has been an incredible asset to the City of Phoenix and the Aviation Department, and we wish him well in the next leg of his journey as he departs from Sky Harbor.
If the thought of traveling with kids gives you anxiety, the following kid-friendly travel tips may come in handy.
For the parents
Book parking in advance if you plan on utilizing airport parking. Look for family-friendly spaces which are closer in proximity and wider than standard spots. Our Find-A-Spot tool will help you find just the right spot for you. Don’t forget to arrive at the airport at least two hours before takeoff to avoid unexpected delays.
Give kids their own carry-on bag to have snacks and toys easily accessible. Remember to review the TSA’s security requirements to know what you can bring through security. For a quicker experience, try TSA PreCheck®.
Become familiar with our Navigator volunteers (dressed in purple) and use our interactive airport map to find information counters near you. If your child is traveling alone, check with your airline on policies for obtaining a pass to accompany them to the boarding gate.
Each terminal has at least one family restroom, nursing room and mobile nursing pod, and may provide seating, changing stations and electrical outlets. Visit this page for a list of available baby travel needs.
For the Kids
If you have the time, here are a few activities to do with the little ones:
Visit the Play-viation Park children’s play area in Terminal 3. (Photo above taken pre-pandemic. Everyone age 2 and older currently must wear a mask.)
Spot one of our Navigator Buddy airport therapy dogs.
Walk the mile-long post-security Fitness Trail featuring prominent landmarks around Terminal 4.
Take a ride in the sky on the PHX Sky Train®. For a more visual experience, ride at the front of the leading car.
Check out the Airport Museum exhibitions at any terminal or the Rental Car Center. The Museum also offers online learning activities you can do at home or while on your trip.
Get an up-close view of a plane arriving by grabbing a window seat near your gate.
Find shops and restaurants near you using our interactive maps. Be sure to ask at the restaurant if they have a kid’s menu available.
For a quiet space, visit the Compassion Corner in Terminal 4, with a chapel and sensory room. Compassion Cacti™ lanyards, for those who need additional assistance can be requested online and picked up here.
Traveling military and families can rest at the USO Arizona center in Terminal 4. Amenities include a snack bar, charging stations, work and lounge area, Cable TV with PlayStation 4, Children’s play area, foosball, board & table games.
Pass time with educational aviation activities, available in English and Spanish, ranging from word search, crossword, trivia, paper airplane instructions, aviation alphabet, airport terminology and careers.
Business Travelers: Build Your Parking Portfolio with Double Rewards
Frequent travelers know that parking points add up to some excellent rewards. Now, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is giving 20 points for every $1 spent in parking to Loyalty Program members.
Not in our Loyalty Program? No problem! Simply register for an account before you make your next reservation. There's no fee to enroll and free parking begins at 1,200 points. Register now start earning parking points.
Business travelers enjoy some great advantages:
Short walk to your gate.
QR code for fast and touchless entry and exit.
Clean and well-maintained facilities
Change or cancel reservation up to 2 hours prior to scheduled entry without fee.
Phoenix Airport Museum Presents Exhibition on Local Muralists
Street art moves indoors with the latest Phoenix Airport Museum exhibition, From Studio to Street, featuring artwork by nine artists who have enhanced our City with larger-than-life murals. From desert plant life to Chicano culture to surreal portraits, these artists have brought new life to blank city walls with color, character and local flavor.
This exhibition includes artworks on canvas, skateboards and even a fence panel that were all created in an indoor studio setting. Each of the eight display cases features one artist’s work along with information on where to find murals by that artist. The text panel also includes a QR code to an interactive mural map – inviting locals and travelers alike to explore accessible art in Phoenix.
From Studio to Street is on view in Terminal 4, level 3 in eight display cases on the east and west ends through May 2022.
Featured artists: Brian Boner Tato Caraveo Lalo Cota Maggie Keane Kyllan Maney Thomas "Breeze" Marcus Carrie Marill Champ Styles Such Styles
Construction Update
Improvements are underway at PHX! Terminal 4’s Eighth Concourse is just months away from opening. Here’s the latest with the project:
Passenger boarding bridges for all eight gates have been delivered and are being installed
The North-South (N2-S2) connector bridge and consolidated exit opened to the public in December
This month, finishes and fixtures are being installed (carpet and furniture in the holdrooms and common areas)
The relocated Peet's Coffee & Tea coffee will open in February
In addition to the opening of the Eighth Concourse, the PHX Sky Train® extension remains scheduled to open this upcoming summer. Recently, engineers have continued regular testing on the new system.
This comes with nightly PHX Sky Train® shutdowns that will be scheduled for the next several months.
Birdwatchers Photo Birdwatcher’s Report
We say it a lot, but we really do have the best sunsets. What a stunning view of the 44th Street PHX Sky Train® Station and downtown Phoenix.
Photo by Cierra Clement.
Next Airport Job Fair to Be Held Feb. 15
Looking for a job or know someone who is? The next airport job fair will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 15 from 12-4 p.m. at the 44th Street PHX Sky Train® Station. Many airport vendors will be available to meet with prospective employees. More than 900 job opportunities at the airport are available, including positions in aviation support, passenger customer service, facilities, automotive, mobility services, retail, dining, and other industries.
Candidates will have the opportunity to speak with representatives to discuss available positions, begin the application process, fill out required paperwork and in some cases, have the opportunity to interview on-site. Transit passes will be available for those attendees who need one.
To learn more and to see which companies are planning to participate, visit our Jobs page.
Sky Harbor to Benefit from Bipartisan Infrastructure Package
The Bipartisan Infrastructure package will provide numerous benefits to airports. It will set aside $15 billion over five years for airport infrastructure grants, distributed by formula. Under the formula, the City of Phoenix Aviation Department expects to receive about $40 million in funding per year for five years.
This funding will enable us to begin construction of an important new taxiway. The $280 million project will connect the north and south airfields on the west side of the airport. It will increase our efficiency, decrease wait times for take offs and landings, and allow passengers to get to their gates more quickly after their flights land. We are starting the design and this project is anticipated to be complete in 2025. Without the infrastructure package funding, we would not have been able to begin the construction of this important, new taxiway.
Other projects that will benefit from this funding might include the West Air Cargo Apron Reconstruction and the Terminal 3 Outer Apron reconstruction. These are areas where the aircraft are parked and/or unloaded, refueled, etc.
Additionally, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package sets aside $5 billion over five years in competitive grants for airport terminal projects, along with other competitive grant opportunities for projects that promote sustainability. Some possible projects could include: A second north concourse at Terminal 3, a connector bridge between Terminals 3 and 4, infrastructure improvements at Terminal 4, upgrades to garage lighting, new solar installations, and replacement of fleet vehicles with electric vehicles.
Deer Valley and Goodyear Airports are also expected to receive funding, which will be used for apron construction and reconstruction projects.
Airport Community Goes Above and Beyond During the Season of Giving
For many years, the City of Phoenix Aviation Department has partnered with Herrera School in a number of ways. But we began a more active partnership in 2018, which included airport tours for students and classroom speakers. That year, the school reached out to Sky Harbor Community Relations as they planned their annual Reindeer Run Event. This event gives students the opportunity to earn raffle tickets as they run laps around the school gymnasium. The school raffles off turkeys, hams, and grocery store gift cards for students to bring home to their families. The school asked the Phoenix Aviation Department if we could help promote donations of turkeys, hams, and gift cards for the raffle. The response was excellent. Airport concessions partners and employees came through with dozens of hams and turkeys.
Since then, support for the Reindeer Run has become an annual tradition for the Phoenix Aviation Department and our business partners. Last year, we teamed up to provide nearly $1,400 in grocery store gift cards, and more than 125 hams and turkeys. Nava Singam with Kind Hospitality donated 50 turkeys this year with Customs & Border Protection providing hams and turkeys as well. In addition, SSP America, Paradies Lagardere, S. Levy Foods, and numerous aviation employees gave gift cards, hams, and turkeys.
Pictured from left: Dr. Larry Weeks, Superintendent of Phoenix Elementary School District, Supervisor Henry Alipusan of Customs & Border Protection, Phoenix City Councilmember Carlos Garcia, Carlos Ardon, Principal of Herrera School for the Arts and Dual Language, Chad Makovsky, Director of Aviation Services, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Nava Singam, CEO of Kind Hospitality, and Jason Gitkin, Community Outreach/Events Manager, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
And, our Navigator volunteers not only help people in our terminals, but in our community as well. This holiday season they were very generous and collected items for those in need as part of two holiday donation drives. Volunteers contributed a box full of scooters and toys for the Salvation Army’s Forgotten Angel program and more than 300 canned food items were also donated to St. Mary’s Food Bank. Pictured here, our employees are loading up donations from our Navigators. Way to go volunteers!
City of Phoenix Aviation Department employees also participated in the Christmas Angels Program. Employees adopted 150 Christmas Angels and donated approximately 500 items for the Forgotten Angels, which included clothes, toys for children from newborn to 12 years old, books, arts and crafts, scooters and bikes.
So many children throughout the community woke up to smiles on their faces because of the generous donations from Aviation employees.
