A method for the determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in airborne particle samples was developed using two-step thermal desorption and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The thermal desorption conditions and GC-MS parameters were optimized. The results showed that the detection limits (LODs) of this method varied from 0.14 to 0.42 ng/m3. The average recoveries were ranged from 52.7% to 97.9%, and the relative standard deviations (RSD) were ranged from 8.0% to 18.4%. The method was applied to analyze 32 collected airborne particle samples. In comparison with the traditional method, this method can avoid the waste of organic solvents and also shorten the analysis time. It is a green method, and beneficial for the environment and the analysts.