Long traces, delays and document passenger numbers won’t scream “satisfaction,” however whereas these stay frequent hallmarks of air journey in North America, a brand new research has revealed flyers are more and more happy with their expertise of the area’s airports.
Overall passenger satisfaction scores are marginally up from final 12 months, in accordance with the 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study from information analysts J.D. Power. On a 1,000-point scale, services throughout the board rose 10 factors from 609 to 619.
The rise — which got here as TSA revealed that a document 10 million-plus travelers have been screened by US airport safety over the latest Labor Day weekend — was attributed by the survey staff to “improvements in food, beverage and retail and ease of travel through the airport.”
Airports are assessed and ranked in three classes in the survey: “mega,” which deal with over 33 million passengers a 12 months; “large,” which see 10 to 32.9 million; and “medium,” accommodating 4.5 to 9.9 million travelers.
The sprawling Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, in Minnesota, was the satisfaction winner in the mega class, holding onto the place it achieved last year.
“MSP has excellent access, well-thought-out signage, friendly staff, excellent terminal facilities and an outstanding Food, Beverage and Retail program,” Michael Taylor, managing director of journey, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power, informed NCS Travel. “What’s not to like?”
In the giant class, John Wayne Airport, Orange County, got here high. Taylor famous many airports on this class have improved, with 21 out of 27 scoring increased than their 2024 ranking. The motive? Taylor stated quite a few long-term airport enchancment initiatives are lastly paying off.
“I wouldn’t call it a surprise, given the ongoing efforts many airports have been making, but it’s still a significant shift in the data,” he stated.
The “medium” rating, in the meantime, is topped by Indianapolis International Airport, which additionally held the place final 12 months.
J.D. Power’s survey is now in its twentieth 12 months and Taylor famous that whereas air journey fundamentals haven’t actually modified, traveler priorities have, with meals, beverage and retail choices now “one of the most important dimensions in determining what makes a ‘good’ airport ‘great’” for at this time’s flyer.
Airports that embrace native meals traits and taste, creating “a genuine sense of location” show an enormous hit with travelers, in accordance with the survey, enhancing general satisfaction scores by a mean of 190 factors.
An thrilling foods and drinks choice isn’t sufficient to ensure satisfaction. Other metrics embody ease of journey by way of the airport, degree of belief with the airport, terminal services, airport employees, stores and departure and arrival experiences. This 12 months’s outcomes are primarily based on 30,439 traveler surveys collected from July 2024 by way of to July 2025.
While the survey general suggests an uptick in satisfaction, some main airports noticed scores drop from final 12 months. Minneapolis-Saint Paul dropped 11 factors to 660, however the hub stays high of the charts and an business chief.
And whereas Newark Liberty International Airport, final in the mega airport rankings in 2024, stayed backside, its general rating improved, rising 13 factors to 565.
Taylor stated Newark’s efficiency is “still hampered by its poor access scores,” noting that “traffic around that airport really muted some substantial improvements to the airport itself.”
“There are still major construction goals at that airport,” Taylor added, pointing to a yet-to-be-completed overhaul of its Terminal B and a restoration of its inter-terminal practice. “Like most airport projects, it takes years to complete.”
Taylor added that the general rise in satisfaction scores present that airport enchancment initiatives costing tons of of billions of {dollars} could make an enormous distinction for travelers, even when they take some time to return to fruition. Scores, he stated, will probably preserve enhancing.
“It does take some time, but the industry is really moving in a positive direction.”
Top 5 scorers in the mega class for 2025, on a 1,000-point scale:
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) – 660
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) – 649
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) – 634
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – 620
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – 619
Bottom 5 scorers (in descending order) in the mega class for 2025:
O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – 586
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) – 583
Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) – 567
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) – 565
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) – 581
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