Philadelphia's Aviation Chief Steps Down Ahead of Busy Tourist Season
A major shake-up is brewing at Philadelphia International Airport as the city prepares for what promises to be its busiest tourism season in recent memory. Atif Saeed, the CEO of the Philadelphia Department of Aviation, has announced his departure from the role after just over three years, effective February 27.
Saeed will take on a new challenge as the CEO of San Diego International Airport, while the city embarks on a nationwide search to find his replacement. Tracy Borda, a veteran airport executive with 30 years of experience at Philadelphia International, has been tapped to serve as interim CEO until a permanent successor is found.
Saeed's departure marks an end to an era for the city's aviation department, which was rebranded as a formal city department last year. Under his leadership, the department spearheaded significant capital improvement projects and expanded the airport workforce, helping Philadelphia emerge stronger from the pandemic.
Mayor Cherelle Parker praised Saeed's tenure, saying he "led our airports out of the pandemic" and positioned the city to welcome visitors from around the world in 2026. The upcoming summer season is expected to be particularly busy, with major events including the FIFA World Cup, MLB All-Star Game, and PGA Championship drawing in over 1 million visitors.
Saeed himself expressed confidence that Philadelphia's aviation hubs are prepared for the influx of tourists, saying he will always look back on his time at PHL and PNE fondly. Despite his departure, Parker credited Saeed with advancing critical modernization efforts and positioned the city to succeed in the years ahead.
A major shake-up is brewing at Philadelphia International Airport as the city prepares for what promises to be its busiest tourism season in recent memory. Atif Saeed, the CEO of the Philadelphia Department of Aviation, has announced his departure from the role after just over three years, effective February 27.
Saeed will take on a new challenge as the CEO of San Diego International Airport, while the city embarks on a nationwide search to find his replacement. Tracy Borda, a veteran airport executive with 30 years of experience at Philadelphia International, has been tapped to serve as interim CEO until a permanent successor is found.
Saeed's departure marks an end to an era for the city's aviation department, which was rebranded as a formal city department last year. Under his leadership, the department spearheaded significant capital improvement projects and expanded the airport workforce, helping Philadelphia emerge stronger from the pandemic.
Mayor Cherelle Parker praised Saeed's tenure, saying he "led our airports out of the pandemic" and positioned the city to welcome visitors from around the world in 2026. The upcoming summer season is expected to be particularly busy, with major events including the FIFA World Cup, MLB All-Star Game, and PGA Championship drawing in over 1 million visitors.
Saeed himself expressed confidence that Philadelphia's aviation hubs are prepared for the influx of tourists, saying he will always look back on his time at PHL and PNE fondly. Despite his departure, Parker credited Saeed with advancing critical modernization efforts and positioned the city to succeed in the years ahead.
, but I guess you could say he's "flying" out of Philly... literally! 
Anyway, it's no surprise that a seasoned airport pro like Tracy Borda will take over until they find someone who can "land" on their feet. On a serious note, PHL Airport is gonna be slammed this summer with all those major events, so fingers crossed the new CEO (whenever they find one) won't "crash and burn" under the pressure! 
fingers crossed dey can pull off this busy season w/o major probs 
airport drama alert 
. but seriously, it's gonna be interesting to see how this plays out. Tracy Borda taking over as interim CEO is a solid move, at least she has some airport exec experience under her belt 
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the city needs stability during peak tourist season, not some quick fix interim CEO... and what about all those capital improvement projects he led? will they be scrapped or left unfinished? 
. Still, it's not like he's done anything wrong... just the nature of things, I guess 
. Tracy Borda seems like a solid interim choice though - 30 years of experience? That's some serious aviation cred 
. Can't wait to see how this whole thing plays out, especially with all those major events coming up in summer 
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. And what about Tracy Borda as the new interim CEO? I think she's been around long enough to navigate all this chaos 
. Has anyone thought about how they're gonna handle security checks and crowd management during peak tourist season? 
