Airport Experience® News - Leadership Issue 2025

Chad Makovsky has been involved in aviation for his entire career. From an early start at an airline, through a range of airports and eventually to the helm of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), Makovsky has made an indelible mark on the North American aviation industry. Since his appointment as aviation director for the City of Phoenix in March 2021, Makovsky has led PHX on an aggressive growth path, with new carriers and new routes – both domestic and international – that have propelled the airport past the 50-million-passenger threshold. Through the gains, Makovsky has ushered in new development at PHX, most recently the launch of airport’s $326 million expansion of Terminal 3, which broke ground earlier this year. More is planned as the airport grapples with rising demand. And inside all the terminals, Makovsky has overseen a vibrant and revitalized concessions and customer service approach, with in-terminal concessions generation revenues just shy of $400 million in 2024. In recognition of Makovsky’s impact on PHX, and his commitment to forwarding the interests of the North American airport community overall, Airport Experience News selected him as its 2025 Director of the Year in the large airports category. An Early Fascination A special treat from a loving grandmother is what first sparked Makovsky’s interest in aviation. At a festival in a northern Wisconsin town, Makovsky’s grandmother – who had noticed his interest in airplanes – gifted him with a ride in a seat next to the pilot. And Makovsky was enthralled. “Just being able to sit up there and see the controls really got me hooked on aviation and on being a pilot,” Makovsky recalls. But the pilot part didn’t stick. He eventually obtained a pilot’s license, but his interest had shifted slightly.

“I realized pretty quickly that the pilot profession didn’t excite me as much as I thought it would, but [my education and experiences] exposed me to the other side of the industry – the airline and airport side,” he says. “And right out of school, I moved to Phoenix to work for America West Airlines. From America West, Makovsky jumped to the airport industry, starting that career at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), working for JFKIAT as it developed the airport’s Terminal 4. From there, he jumped to Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), then joined the City of Phoenix Aviation Department. He spent 14 years at PXH, starting as a communications dispatcher and working his way up to assistant aviation director. Deciding he needed to broaden his experience, Makovsky left PHX in 2017 to join Dallas Fort Worth International Airport as executive vice president of operations. He stayed there four years before being lured back to PHX, where he rejoined as aviation director in March 2021. Navigating To New Growth March 2021 was, of course, one year into the pandemic that stripped airports of the vast majority of their traffic. Makovsky’s return to PHX coincided with the release and ramp-up of the Covid-19 vaccine, and the gates were opened to new growth. “I think people were just sick of being in their homes,” Makovsky recalls. “So many people, once they got their vaccine, really just wanted to get out of the house and travel. Phoenix is a well-known springtime vacation place…and we really saw a strong rebound in the spring going into the

Above: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is one of few large airports in North America with no restrictions on concessions pricing. Makovsky was initially skeptical, but he says operators have been disciplined about pricing.

summertime. At the end of 2021 we came in at just under 40 million passengers (up from 22 million in 2020). We were well on our way to recovery” The momentum continued. For 2022, the airport fell just shy of the 44 million passengers recorded in 2019, and in 2023 and 2024 new records were set. “We had 48 million in 2023 and then, for the first time ever, we exceeded 50 million, coming in at 52.3 million in 2024. “I’d love to take credit for it but, frankly, having the right conditions here at the right time allowed us to really excel and grow right on the backside of the pandemic,” he says. That said, it wasn’t just circumstance and good location that made PHX a beacon for airlines and travelers. “I think about what we do that sets us apart,” Makovsky says. “We really focus on being efficient – customer friendly is our motto. America’s friendliest airport, right? And from a financial perspective, we’re friendly as well. We maintain among the very lowest cost-per-enplaned passenger rates among our peer set in the industry, and we’re really proud of that. We don’t want to give the airlines a reason to say no to serving our community.” While undoubtedly a few airlines have said no over the years, many have not. “We’ve added 13 airlines, almost doubled the number of airlines serving our airport from 2021 to currently,” notes Makovsky,

17

AX NEWS DECEMBER 2025 / JANUARY 2026