April 3, 2024

Empowering Multilingual Travelers: The Philadelphia Airport’s Flight Towards Inclusivity

Ready for Takeoff

With over 12 million flyers coming through the airport each year, the Philadelphia Airport is no stranger to experiencing multilingual travelers. As more people fly in and out of the city, PHL has recognized an area of opportunity to ensure these travelers do not get lost in translation. And they’re doing it without the costs of hiring traditional interpreters and translators.

“This pilot is tested here locally at four out of our six screening locations, including our international terminals,” TSA Deputy Federal Secretary Director Christine Assili said, “and it’s also available at all checkpoints when needed.”

 

No More Winging It 

Philadelphia International’s pilot program is testing out four Pocketalk devices to increase ease for travelers and airport employees, while also adding safety and security. As the only HIPAA and GDPR-compliant translation device on the market, Pocketalk ensures that their translations are not only accurate but safe.

Joe Miller, the general manager of North America at Pocketalk, said, “Security isn’t an afterthought; it’s built into the DNA of every Pocketalk device.”

The airport has already found that the translation device has made a positive impact in assisting non-English speakers to navigate TSA.

 

Let’s Get Social!

Check out our X, LinkedIn, and Instagram for more behind-the-scenes content, and share your thoughts using #Pocketalk and #AllSpokenHere for your language inclusivity stories. Let’s explore how we can transform language barriers into bridges for educational success.