July 03, 2021

More than 400 flight delays at PHL airport amid holiday weekend

As the weather cleared up, the number of delays have decreased

By Hannah Kanik
PhillyVoice Staff

Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice

The Philadelphia International Airport experienced several delays and cancellations over the holiday weekend as travel surged and bad weather made its way through the region.

As holiday travel surged this weekend for the Fourth of July and the region was hit with rainy weather, the Philadelphia International Airport experienced several delays and canceled flights.

On Thursday, July 1, there were 410 flight delays and 57 flight cancelations to and from PHL. As of 12:30 p.m. Friday, July 2, there were 76 delays and 15 cancelations to and from the airport.

The delays eased up after the weather started to clear Saturday. According to Flight Aware, as of 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 3, just 13 flights were canceled in the past 24 hours.

Airport spokesperson Heather Redfern told PhillyVoice in an email that it's "safe to assume" the delays and cancelations were caused by the weather, but other factors could have also contributed to the delays.

"We remind passengers that severe storms can impact flights to and from PHL, even when the weather is clear in Philadelphia. Passengers should check with their airlines for flight status," Redfern said.

For an up-to-date look at how many flights are canceled or delayed, check Flight Aware.

The airport is anticipating around 35,000 passengers to travel through PHL from Thursday to Monday this holiday weekend. Around 2.4 million passengers are expected through the month of July.

Passengers still must wear face masks in the airport and on airplanes, per a federal policy from the TSA that remains in effect until Sept. 13, 2021.

Now that COVID-19 restrictions are easing up in Philadelphia and nationally, airport officials offered some advice for those flying for the first time in a while:

Before the trip:

• Know where to park: Garage parking is mostly full, Redfern says. Passengers are encouraged to take alternate transportation methods, get dropped off by a loved one, use ride share apps like Uber or Lyft, public transportation and more.

• Do your homework: Officials say passengers should research the COVID-19 testing and quarantine requirements for their destination and take advantage of the on-site COVID-19 testing facility, which is open seven days a week.

At the Airport:

• TSA checkpoints: Make sure to arrive to the airport two hours before boarding time. All TSA checkpoints are open at PHL, and passengers can go through any of them to access all terminals.