Philadelphia International Airport has seen a post-pandemic rebound on its summer leisure travel numbers, close to and even surpassing pre-pandemic values.

Those numbers are expected to stay strong through September, said Atif Saeed, CEO of the city’s Department of Aviation, overseeing PHL and Northeast Philadelphia Airport.

Now it’s focusing on boosting business travel, write Emma Dooling for Philadelphia Business Journal.

PHL will relay the needs of the local business community to the airlines so flights can be added that bring business travelers back to the airport. 

The airport is working with local organizations that represent the business community, like the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, and businesses themselves to find out what routes businesses would most use. 

There’s a focus on higher education, health care and the life sciences.

“The businesses in the cell and gene therapy space in particular have been really good about this, who kind of come to us and share, this is the travel that we’re doing,” said  PHL Chief Commercial Officer Kate Sullivan.

Saeed said airlines don’t have the resources to know what’s happening in an individual business community that could affect travel, but PHL can step in and help.

Read more about efforts to boost business travel at PHL in the Philadelphia Business Journal.