Massive Airport Construction Projects Finally Pay Dividends, but Not All Improvements Yield Equal Results

Crowded terminals and jam-packed flights are not typically the best recipe for a positive airport experience, but the JD Power 2026 North America Airport Satisfaction Study,^SM released today, suggests the nation’s airports are finding ways to defy the odds. Thanks in large part to dozens of major airport capital improvement projects finally reaching completion, overall passenger satisfaction with airports in North America increases significantly in 2026, despite passenger volume continuing to run at or near the record levels set in 2025¹.

“For the better part of the last decade, nearly every airport, from the largest international hubs to midsized airfields, has undertaken a significant capital improvement project aimed at streamlining passenger flow, adding attractive food and beverage options and improving overall passenger experience,” said Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at JD Power. “On the whole, those efforts are finally starting to pay off in the form of higher overall passenger satisfaction scores. However, when it comes to the individual experiences of passengers, every detail counts and the specific design and structural decisions airports make can have a significant influence on how passengers spend their time – and their money – in the terminal.”

Following are some key findings of the 2026 study:

The construction projects were worth it: Despite consistently high passenger volumes throughout 2026, overall satisfaction increases 14 points (on a 1,000-point scale) for mega airports, 13 points for large airports and 16 points for medium airports. All of the highest-ranked airports in the study have recently completed, or are close to completing, multi-year, billion dollar+ capital improvement projects.
Clear signage and bold designs that convey unique sense of place are key: Two specific airport design attributes drive the highest levels of passenger satisfaction. On the practical side, effective signage and clear wayfinding systems that guide passengers to their gate are essential. On the more conceptual side, airport frontage and terminal design choices that reflect a genuine sense of the airport’s home city or location also play a major role in influencing passenger experience.
Local color needs to be balanced with familiar brands: Another significant driver of passenger satisfaction is food, beverage and retail programs, which collectively improved 8 points year over year across all airport segments. Airport efforts to incorporate authentic local food and beverage brands into their terminal offerings have helped to fuel that increase, but airports need to balance those local options with nationally recognized chain brands that many passengers seek out for their familiarity.
Airport experience wields major influence on passenger spending: Passengers who rate their airport experience as “perfect” spend an average of $47.60 in the terminal. That is $20.22 more than passengers who rate their airport experience as “just OK.” Perfect experiences are rare, however, occurring in just 12% of journeys through the airport.

Study Ranking

Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport ranks highest in passenger satisfaction among mega airports for a third consecutive year, with a score of 684. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (663) ranks second and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (642) ranks third.

Tampa International Airport ranks highest among large airports with a score of 715. Portland International Airport (708) ranks second and Dallas Love Field (698) ranks third.

Charleston International Airport ranks highest among medium airports with a score of 712. Ontario International Airport (705) ranks second and Indianapolis International Airport (695) ranks third.

To see the complete rankings for each segment, visit: http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2026093.

The North America Airport Satisfaction Study, now in its 21^st year, measures overall passenger satisfaction with mega, large and medium North American airports by examining their experience across seven core dimensions (in order of importance): ease of travel through airport; level of trust with airport; terminal facilities; airport staff; departure/to airport experience; food, beverage and retail; and arrival/from airport experience. Mega airports are defined as those with 33 million or more passengers per year; large airports with 10 to 32.9 million passengers per year; and medium airports with 4.5 to 9.9 million passengers per year.

The 2026 study is based on 24,710 completed surveys from U.S. or Canadian residents who traveled through at least one U.S. or Canadian airport and covers both departure and arrival experiences (including connecting airports) during the past 30 days. Passengers evaluated either a departing or arriving airport from their round-trip experience. The study was fielded from July 2025 through July 2026.

For more information about the North America Airport Satisfaction Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/north-america-airport-satisfaction-benchmark-study/.