J.D. Power: Passenger satisfaction with North American airports rises; Minneapolis ranks highest, Newark last

More than 10 million passengers passed through Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) checkpoints at North American airports on Labor Day weekend this year, setting a new record for air travel volume. Despite crowded terminals, flight delays and rising prices, overall satisfaction with airports is improving, according to the J.D. Power 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study released Wednesday.

Overall passenger satisfaction scores are up 10 points on a 1,000-point scale this year, driven largely by improvements in food, beverage and retail options, as well as ease of travel through airports.

“While the annual growth rate in passenger volume seems to be leveling off, we’re still seeing record numbers of travelers pass through the nation’s airports, and, for the most part, they are enjoying the experience,” said Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power. “A big part of this recent increase in passenger satisfaction is due to recently completed improvements in many airport facilities themselves. A few big capital improvement projects have now been completed and many more are underway or about to break ground. A decades long trend of bringing unique, local flavor to the passenger experience has positively impacted the airport experience with these local touches having a major influence on passenger satisfaction.”

Key findings from the 2025 study include:

• Record volumes: Despite record passenger numbers and widespread delays, satisfaction increased 8 points for mega airports, 10 points for medium airports and 15 points for large airports.
• Local flavor matters: Food, beverage and retail programs improved 14 points year over year, with local brands boosting satisfaction.
• Spending tied to experience: Passengers who rated their airport experience as “perfect” spent an average of $42.39 in the terminal, $16.54 more than those who rated it “just OK.” Only 11% of trips were rated “perfect.”
• Mega airport challenges: At mega airports, 23% of passengers reported spending 21 minutes or more in security lines, and 57% described the airport as “moderately crowded.”

Among mega airports, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport ranked highest in passenger satisfaction for the second year in a row with a score of 660. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (649) ranked second, followed by Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (634). Newark Liberty International Airport ranked last among mega airports with a score of 565.

John Wayne Airport in Orange County led large airports with a score of 730, followed by Tampa International Airport (709) and Dallas Love Field (705). Among medium airports, Indianapolis International Airport ranked highest for the fourth year in a row with 713, followed by Ontario International Airport (709) and Buffalo Niagara International Airport (698).

The North America Airport Satisfaction Study, now in its 20th year, measures passenger satisfaction across seven categories: ease of travel, trust in the airport, terminal facilities, staff, departure and arrival experience, and food, beverage and retail. Mega airports are defined as those with 33 million or more passengers annually; large airports with 10 to 32.9 million; and medium airports with 4.5 to 9.9 million.

The 2025 study is based on 30,439 surveys from U.S. and Canadian residents who traveled through at least one airport over the past 30 days. It was fielded from July 2024 through July 2025.