After months of complaints of airport restaurant workers being understaffed and overworked, Phoenix City Council vote 6-3 this month to provide $19.2 million more in rent relief to concessionaires at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport from federal coronavirus relief funds. Council added stipulations aimed to ensure airport vendors use the money to improve staffing levels.
The vote will send $15.4 million for small business concessions and $3.8 million for large business concessions from American Rescue Plan Act funds paid through the Federal Aviation Administration.
Stipulations require vendors to be operating to receive funding and to be withing 80% of 2019 staffing levels within 90 days of accepting the relief. Vendors also must operate at 100% of their contractual hours and return to full menu offerings as compared with 2019.
