Next time you find yourself at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), be sure to stop by Terminal A -West to snap a selflie with the Rocky Balboa statue that is now a permanent fixture.
The 10-foot-tall bronze scultpure is one of three original Rocky casts created in 1980 for the Rocky III film by A. Thomas Schomberg in collaboration with Sylvester Stallone.
A Philly icon has landed at PHL. We’re excited to share that the Rocky statue is now permanently installed in Terminal A-West, welcoming travelers with a true symbol of Philadelphia’s heart, grit, and spirit.
To mark the installation, PHL held a Rocky look-alike contest.
Contest registrants were encouraged to access the terminal using a PHL Wingmate Pass and were reminded that “raw eggs are subject to the TSA’s 3-1-1 rule for liquids and raw meat must be completely frozen and packaged.”
Pretty much everyone in Pittsburgh is delighted with the new $1.7 billion landside terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), which features plenty of space, lots of light, oodles of art and a new (probably temporary) spot for the selfie-friendly statue depicting the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Franco Harris making the famous Immaculate Reception.
But fans quickly pointed out that some of the details in the background collage were a bit off.
No worries, airport officials say, they’ll fix that.
Restrictions the FAA has on space launches and on general aviation flights at 12 airports will also be lifted.
Flights restrictions that were set to ultimately reach 10% were put in place during the longest government shutdown in history amid concerns about staffing levels of the nation’s air traffic controllers and air traffic safety nationwide.
But once the government shutdown ended, the FAA mandated a 3% reduction over the weekend, down from the 6% reduction that was previously in place.
“Staffing levels have continued to snap back into place since the end of the government shutdown,” the FAA said in a release, noting that “the current data aligns with staffing conditions before the shutdown.”
Record Thanksgiving travelers. Will they fly or drive?
AAA predicts that 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday period, which this year stretches from Tuesday, November 25 to Monday, December 1.
The estimate is up 1.6 million travelers over last Thanksgiving, setting a new overall record.
But recent flight reductions and delays may cause some Thanksgiving travelers to reconsider how they travel this year.
According to AAA, 6 million U.S. travelers are expected to take domestic flights over the Thanksgiving holiday period, a 2% increase compared to 2024 And AAA projects at least 73 million people will travel but car.
But those numbers may shift a bit because some people who had planned to fly have already decided to drive or take a bus or train in response to all the recent flight cancellations.
Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal opens Tuesday
Although they held a ribbon cutting a few weeks ago, the new $1.7 billion main terminal buidling at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) will officially open to the public on Tuesday, November 18.
The Stuck at The Airport team will fly in on that day to be part of the festivities.
We’ll get a first look at all the fresh amenities that are part of the new building, including 12 upgraded security lanes, a new state-of-the-art baggage handling system, outdoor decks, new concessions and lots of locally-made artwork.
A fresh new airport terminal building is always exciting.
But we’re glad to see that some of the ‘old time’ favorite features are making the move to the new terminal.
That includes the PIT’s popular statue of Pittsburgh Steeler Franco Harris completing the Immaculate Reception.
FRANCO IS ON THE MOVE! He was relocated to our new terminal last night, so you’ll be able to say hi and take all the selfies with our main guy on opening day this Tuesday!
U.S. government shutdown is affecting air travel. Already.
The U.S. government shutdown is beginning to take a toll on air travel.
TSA workers, air traffic controllers and others – already working longer hours due to staffing shortages – are now working without paychecks and the fallout is clear.
Earlier this week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said there’s been a slight increase in the number of sick calls from TSA workers and air traffic controllers since the shutdown began.
Take a look at the FAA’s National Airspace System Status chart. You’ll notice under that the cause for many of the delays is currently listed as “staffing.”
If the shutdown continues, this list will grow.
DEVELOPING: Nashville’s air traffic approach control will go dark for five hours tonight due to short staffing—the second FAA facility in as many days to shut down over shortages. pic.twitter.com/bThZ3zSIxi
The 2019 government shutdown lasted 35 days, during which time employees of TSA, the FAA and Customs and Border Protection (among others) had to work without pay.
During that time, airports and airlines and community groups set up food pantries and free meals for those unpaid workers.
It’s happening again.
During the shutdown, the Allegheny County Authority (ACAA), the operator of Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is providing free meals to working U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees.
The first meals were provided at both Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) and Allegheny County Airport (AGC) on Friday, Oct. 3. The plan is to provide meals twice a week for the duration of the shutdown.
According to PIT officials, airport concessions partners are contributing by helping to prepare the meals at a discounted rate. Participants include Air Ventures, Beer Code, Bruegger’s Bagels, Chick-fil-A, Jimmy John’s, Local Craft, Shake Shack, and Wellington, with more to come.
Currently, the meals will be distributed across all shifts on Tuesdays and Thursdays at PIT and AGC.
If the shutdown continues, starting October 11, 2025, TSA workers will be offered several benefits, including complimentary parking during their shifts; two meal vouchers per shift (one voucher per shift for part-time workers); and discounts or special meals from ATL concessionaries.
Any other airports doing this? Let us know.
JetBlue’s new special celebrating Puerto Rico
One of JetBlue‘s Airbus A320s now bears a special livery, Isla del Bluencanto, designed by Puerto Rican artist Juan Gutiérrez Rovira, also known as The Stencil Network.
The design was chosen by a public vote and celebrates Puerto Rico’s rich culture and spirit and showcases iconic symbols of Puerto Rican heritage.
Look for the jibaro figure on the tail; fruits and flora of the island, on the body of the aircraft; and the phrase “Somos Boruca” – We are Puerto Rico – on the plane’s underbelly,
Air New Zealand’s Prime Day deals
Amazon’s October Prime Days include some travel deals, including some great fares to New Zealand with Air New Zealand’s Prime Day fares.
From October 7 to 9, the airline is offering round-trip flights to Auckland for as low as $825 in the economy cabin. There are tempting fares in Premium Economy and Business Premier as well, and with departures from major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, New York and more.
You’d think that after hiring the best architects and builders and spending billions of dollars, a new airport terminal would be ready to spring into action when the work is done.
But before flights begin to come and go from a new terminal, airports usually run a dress rehearsal day with volunteers pretending to be passengers.
Why ask fake passengers to test airport terminals?
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is putting the finishing touches on a new $1.7 billion terminal set to open in October. Architectural and engineering firms Gensler, HDR and Luis Vidal + Architects designed the terminal and all systems and areas have been completed and rigorously tested.
“But construction and operational readiness aren’t equal,” Daniel Bryan, the consultant leading PIT’s operational readiness and transition team, said. Before the official opening date can be set and announced, PIT is conducting two public trial days, or dress rehearsals, where volunteers act as passengers to help make sure everything — and everyone — is truly ready for the big day.
The first terminal-wide test took place Saturday, Sept. 20, and included about 1,000 of the 18,000 people who responded to the airport’s initial call-out for volunteers.
Pretend passengers traveling on a pretend peak travel day were asked to do all the things real passengers do when they travel from the curb to the gate — checking bags, skis and golf clubs, going through the security checkpoint and finding their gate.
“This will be the first time we’ll see the building come alive,” Bryan said, so the team planned to check the acoustics, the public address system levels, signage and more. The test day was also a day for airport staff to do a run-through for the first day.
San Diego International Airport’s new terminal
It was the same story at San Diego International Airport (SAN) on Sept. 14. Opening day for is Sept. 23 for the $3.8 billion Terminal 1 designed by Gensler in partnership with Turner-Flatiron.
All went well, with adjustments planned in response to feedback that the paging system was too loud in some areas and not loud enough in others, and that better signage was needed for the outdoor dining deck and the oversized baggage belt.
What did Kansas City International Airport learn from its test?
All systems worked well, said airport spokesman Justin Meyer, and in response to volunteer feedback, the airport ordered more hefty paper towels for the restrooms.
Then there was the problem of test day volunteers missing their fake flights because they were spending too much time checking out the terminal.
