American Airlines is preparing for its annual May-through-September surge at Philadelphia International Airport, made more hectic in 2026 because of several local events taking place, writes Emma Dooling for Philadelphia Business Journal.
American is prepared for the expected flood of visitors, said Lakshman Amaranayaka, American’s vice president for its Philadelphia International Airport hub.
“It will take all of us to care for all the visitors that are going to come in. It’ll take all of us to make sure that whatever organization we represent, we are as hospitable as we possibly can [be],” Amaranayaka said.
American is PHL’s largest carrier and looks at flight schedules six to eight months ahead.
A few hundred full-time employees will be hired to supplement American’s 10,000-person staff in Philadelphia.
That includes pilots, ground workers, mechanics, and flight attendants.
American is adding new routes in May between PHL and Budapest and Prague, with other possible routes for the 2026 World Cup.
American is the official North American airline supplier of the World Cup. It also has a partnership with Wawa Welcome America, and it is the official airline of the Philadelphia Eagles.
It is also celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2026.
Read more American Airlines prepping for a busy 2026 season in the Philadelphia Business Journal.
In other airport news, PHL has opened its first LEGO store, which includes a custom Philadelphia LEGO Mummer sculpture.
The store is located between Terminals B and C.
See a video from CBS News Philadelphia about the new store.
