These are the North American airports that travelers find the most satisfying

By Francesca Street, CNN

(CNN) — Long lines, delays and record passenger numbers might not scream “satisfaction,” but while these remain frequent hallmarks of air travel in North America, a new study has revealed flyers are increasingly pleased with their experience of the region’s airports.

Overall passenger satisfaction scores are marginally up from last year, according to the 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study from data analysts J.D. Power. On a 1,000-point scale, facilities across the board rose 10 points from 609 to 619.

The rise — which came as TSA revealed that a record 10 million-plus travelers were screened by US airport security over the recent Labor Day weekend — was attributed by the survey team to “improvements in food, beverage and retail and ease of travel through the airport.”

Airports are assessed and ranked in three categories in the survey: “mega,” which handle over 33 million passengers a year; “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 category, holding onto the position 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 travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power, told CNN Travel. “What’s not to like?”

Changing priorities

In the large category, John Wayne Airport, Orange County, came top. Taylor noted many airports in this category have improved, with 21 out of 27 scoring higher than their 2024 rating. The reason? Taylor said numerous long-term airport improvement projects are finally 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 said.

The “medium” ranking, meanwhile, is topped by Indianapolis International Airport, which also held the position last year.

J.D. Power’s survey is now in its 20th year and Taylor noted that while air travel basics haven’t really changed, traveler priorities have, with food, beverage and retail options now “one of the most important dimensions in determining what makes a ‘good’ airport ‘great’” for today’s flyer.

Airports that embrace local food trends and flavor, creating “a genuine sense of location” prove a big hit with travelers, according to the survey, improving overall satisfaction scores by an average of 190 points.

An exciting food and drink selection isn’t enough to guarantee satisfaction. Other metrics include ease of travel through the airport, level of trust with the airport, terminal facilities, airport staff, retail outlets and departure and arrival experiences. This year’s results are based on 30,439 traveler surveys collected from July 2024 through to July 2025.

While the survey overall suggests an uptick in satisfaction, some leading airports saw scores drop from last year. Minneapolis-Saint Paul dropped 11 points to 660, but the hub remains top of the charts and an industry leader.

And while Newark Liberty International Airport, last in the mega airport rankings in 2024, stayed bottom, its overall score improved, rising 13 points to 565.

Taylor said Newark’s performance 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 train. “Like most airport projects, it takes years to complete.”

Taylor added that the overall rise in satisfaction scores show that airport improvement projects costing hundreds of billions of dollars can make a big difference for travelers, even if they take a while to come to fruition. Scores, he said, will likely keep improving.

“It does take some time, but the industry is really moving in a positive direction.”

Most satisfying North American mega-airports

Top 5 scorers in the mega category 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

Least satisfying North American mega-airports

Bottom 5 scorers (in descending order) in the mega category 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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