News and resources for airport employees.
News and resources for airport employees.
Maggie Surgeon
Maggie Surgeon Stays Observant, Saves Lives
While passing through the parking garage on her way to work at Tender Loving Empire, Maggie Surgeon (she/they) was approached by a person who appeared to be in distress. Maggie quickly realized the person was choking and could not breathe. They promptly performed the Heimlich maneuver, successfully dislodging the blockage. The recovered individual was beyond grateful to Maggie for her help and was thankfully able to continue traveling out of PDX.
“Not only is Maggie a wonderful employee and person, but they went out of their way that day to help a passenger in a way that may have ultimately saved a life. This example shows a true PDX spirit!”
Maggie was a winner at the PDX People Customer Service Awards, where we recognize airport employees who truly stand out as extraordinary. Missed the last virtual awards ceremony? View the event recording or read about past winners.
You can also nominate an employee who embodies the PDX People values and serves as a shining example of great customer service – submit a nomination now.
Nominate a PDX Employee
Parking garage colors and symbols painted along the south tunnel wall.
What's New with PDX Next: New Concessions Open, Parking Garage Wayfinding, Gate D2 Restrooms and Bag Road Reminder
New Concessions: Savory or sweet? Either way, Concourse E has you covered. The Blue Star Donuts cart, Lardo's kiosk and Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen are all open now.
Parking Garage Wayfinding: If you're walking through the south tunnel, you might notice new signage along the wall. As part of our parking improvements, we updated the colors, names and symbols for the garages to make the parking experience even better for travelers.
People have an easier time remembering letters, numbers, graphics and colors, so the new wayfinding uses them all. Each garage has a designated color: P1 (short-term) is green, P2 (long-term) is orange and P3 (also long-term) is purple. Each elevator core uses the garage color, a number and a Pacific Northwest-inspired symbol, like a crab, umbrella, fir or sasquatch.
Restrooms Reopen: On Monday, Nov. 29, the restrooms by Gate D2 will reopen.
Bag Road Reminder: The west lane of main bag road closes on the north end starting Tuesday, Nov. 30, as construction proceeds on a mega column. Flaggers will be in place for the first few weeks, but the lane closure will last for about four months. Additionally, baggage claim 10 will be out of service for the duration of this work.
Looking for more PDX Next information? We're keeping you in the know on what's new on the PDX People website. Have questions or suggestions about construction? Email hello@pdxnext.com or call the construction hotline at 503.460.4339.
KultureCity logo, headphones with a heart.
Get Sensory Inclusive Certified and Enter to Win $100!
Increasing accessibility at PDX is an ongoing endeavor. As part of that work, we’re partnering with KultureCity to open a sensory room on Concourse D – a space geared toward visitors with cognitive or sensory processing challenges. The room will feature a sensory station surrounded by a calming, comfortable atmosphere.
While the sensory room won’t open until early December, learning about sensory processing disabilities and the importance of accessibility can start now.
To help you get up to speed on sensory rooms and enhance your inclusivity work, we’re offering the chance to win $100. All you need to do is watch a 30-minute video and take a short quiz – score 80% or higher and you’ll be rewarded with sensory inclusive certification! Email your certificate of completion to PDX People Communications by Friday, Dec. 17, to be entered to win.
Get Certified Now!
Busy concourse with lots of travelers.
Thanksgiving Travel at PDX 
In looking at the November holiday travel period – which started last Friday and continues through the Monday following Thanksgiving – PDX expects to welcome a total of about a half million travelers. In contrast, last year the airport welcomed just over 200,000 travelers during the Thanksgiving travel period.
Peak travel days this year – with more than 48,000 travelers forecasted each day – are expected to be the Saturday (11/27) and Sunday (11/28) following the holiday. Pre-pandemic (2019) the busiest travel days around the Thanksgiving holiday saw 55,000 to 56,000 travelers.
As the airport get busier, it remains critical for travelers to give themselves enough time to navigate the travel process without stress or concern for missing their flights. If you have friends or family visiting, suggest that they arrive at least two hours prior to flight departure. 
The famous Portland sign with the white stag.
Win Big Prizes for Shopping at Portland’s Small Businesses 
We're just days away from Thanksgiving, followed by Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. A reboot of the shop local “Little Boxes” campaign, now called “Small Shops Big Hearts,” is hoping to entice Portlanders to do that shopping locally by offering prizes for buying local – you could win just for buying a gift at Westward Whiskey or Tender Loving Empire! The new campaign partners with local payment app Kuto to offer shoppers incentives to buy their holiday gifts at around 90 local shops on Nov. 26 and 27. 
Graphic of a person holding up their badge.
Keep PDX Safe & Secure: Badgeholders Should Be AWARE
What’s the key to keeping PDX safe and secure as a badgeholder? Being AWARE:
Always display your security badge
Wear it above the waist on your outermost garment.
Approach anyone in a restricted area whose badge is not clearly visible.
Review if they’re under escort and, if not,
Engage and ask to see their badge.
Challenging – the act of asking to see someone's badge – is vital because it identifies people who are somewhere they're not supposed to be. If you see someone without a visible badge in a restricted area, you're required to challenge them. Also, you must cooperate with anyone who challenges you by showing your badge.
When challenging someone, confirm their badge photo matches the employee and that the badge is not expired. If they refuse your challenge or don’t have a valid badge, contact the PDX Communications Center at 503.460.4000. Read the full article to learn more about being a responsible and AWARE PDX badgeholder.
Vibrant sunrise with the undulating new PDX roof in the foreground.
PDX in Pictures
It dawned on us that you've likely already seen photos of the new roof under construction in our PDX Next update...but this one features a spectacular sunrise coming up behind Mount Hood that could not be missed! Thanks to Portland Airport Fire and Rescue's Ryan Roy for snapping this picture. If you have a photo from life around PDX, email it to PDX People Communications – we might use it in a future PDX in Pictures.

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