Passenger Index / Airports / PHL

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Large hub · #19 of 458 by 12-month departing passengers screened

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) screened about 13.5 million departing passengers at TSA checkpoints in the 12 months to September 30, 2026, roughly flat (-0.2%) on the prior 12 months. Over the same period, US Customs and Border Protection processed about 1.7 million arriving international passengers there. That ranks PHL 19th of 458 US airports by departing passengers screened in Passenger Index's data.

12 months October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026 · published figures rounded to 3 significant figures. TSA data covers 351 of the 365 days; the annual figure is scaled to a full year.

Departing passengers screened (TSA), 12M
13.5 million
-0.2% YoY
International arrivals (CBP), 12M
1.7 million
+3.0% YoY

Key facts

Airport
Philadelphia International Airport · TSA name: Philadelphia International
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
IATA code
PHL
Hub class
Large hub (1.5% of US TSA checkpoint throughput)
Size rank
#19 of 458 airports by 12-month departing passengers screened
CBP-monitored
Yes - international arrivals reported
Data through
September 30, 2026 (public); October 3, 2026 in Premium

Monthly passengers, last 12 months

MonthDeparting passengers screened (TSA)International arrivals (CBP)
September 20261,101,779152,778
August 20261,281,800211,210
July 20261,293,725211,938
June 20261,250,860193,738
May 20261,194,586155,305
April 20261,093,212134,419
March 20261,125,860106,839
February 2026879,43882,974
January 2026891,707108,401
December 20251,104,693111,907
November 20251,038,06998,405
October 20251,196,643145,644

Exact monthly totals for complete calendar months. A month with too few reported days shows "—". Year-over-year change by month, the latest 7 and 30 days and weekly data are in the paid plans.

Annual passengers

YearDeparting passengers screened (TSA)YoYAdj. YoYInternational arrivals (CBP)YoY
202513,487,491+0.4%+0.4%1,684,984+8.7%
202413,470,391+9.2%+9.0%1,552,225+13.3%
202312,358,974+16.2%+16.2%—n/a
20218,259,825+73.9%+68.2%—n/a
20204,778,869-66.8%-65.4%—n/a

Complete calendar years with a full set of monthly data, as reported by TSA. Year-over-year compares the same dates, using only days reported in both years. Adj. YoY leaves out days with a checkpoint missing from TSA's files; — when none were missing (how).

How these numbers are built and what they do not count →

Daily PHL traffic in Passenger Index Premium

This page shows 12-month, monthly and annual totals. Premium subscribers get PHL's latest 7- and 30-day passengers with year-over-year change, daily and weekly history back to 2015, the departing and international-arrival series side by side, Airport Data for every US airport, and CSV and Excel downloads - data through October 3, 2026.

Open Airport Data

Frequently asked questions

How many passengers does Philadelphia International Airport handle?

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) screened about 13.5 million departing passengers at TSA checkpoints in the 12 months to September 30, 2026, roughly flat (-0.2%) on the prior 12 months. Over the same period, US Customs and Border Protection processed about 1.7 million arriving international passengers there. That ranks PHL 19th of 458 US airports by departing passengers screened in Passenger Index's data.

How many passengers did PHL screen last month?

In September 2026, 1,101,779 departing passengers were screened at TSA checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), according to Passenger Index's compilation of TSA FOIA throughput data. CBP processed 152,778 arriving international passengers there that month.

Is passenger traffic at PHL growing?

In the 12 months to September 30, 2026, departing passengers screened at PHL were roughly flat (-0.2%) year over year; CBP international arrivals were +3.0%. Year-over-year compares the same 365 days a year earlier, using only days reported in both years.

Is PHL a large hub airport?

PHL is a large hub in Passenger Index's FAA-style classification: it handled 1.5% of national TSA checkpoint throughput in the 12 months to September 30, 2026 (at least 1% is the large hub band). The FAA's official hub classes use calendar-year enplanements, so they can differ slightly.

How many international passengers arrive at PHL?

US Customs and Border Protection processed about 1.7 million arriving international passengers (US citizens and visitors) at PHL in the 12 months to September 30, 2026. Travelers who cleared US immigration abroad at a preclearance airport (for example in Canada, Ireland or the Caribbean) arrive as domestic passengers and are not in this count.

Can this be split into domestic and international passengers?

Not from this data. TSA screening does not record where a passenger is flying, and CBP counts international arrivals only, so there is no international-departures figure to subtract. The two series measure opposite directions and are shown side by side, never added.

Why is this lower than the passenger count Philadelphia International Airport reports?

Airports usually report enplaned plus deplaned passengers, counting every arriving and departing passenger including connections. TSA counts departing passengers once, at screening; arrivals and connecting passengers who stay airside are not screened again, so this measure runs well below airport-reported totals, especially at connecting hubs.

Where does this data come from?

TSA checkpoint throughput by airport from the TSA FOIA reading room and passengers processed from CBP Airport Wait Times, both US federal public-domain data, compiled and validated by Passenger Index. The 12-month headline is rounded to three significant figures; the monthly and annual tables are exact. Passenger Index Premium has the full daily series.

Cite this page

Passenger Index, "Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) passenger traffic", 12 months to September 30, 2026. https://passengerindex.com/web/airports/phl/

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