PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia maintains the dubious distinction of having the worst large airport in the country, according to J.D. Power’s latest customer satisfaction ranking. The list was released as the airport touted its rebranding at the city’s second annual State of the Airport event on Wednesday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
For the fifth consecutive year, Philadelphia International Airport finished at the bottom of the list of 27 large North American airports in J.D. Power’s survey.
“Clearly disappointed that we’re still last. It’s my understanding by one point we’re last — somebody beat us by one point,” said Department of Aviation CEO Atif Saeed.
Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport scored a 571 on the survey, edging out PHL’s 570. John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, topped the list.
Philadelphia International Airport is 85 years old, and its newest terminal is more than 20 years old. Saeed said the age of the facility is a factor in J.D. Power’s survey.
“Clearly the airport was not built for today’s times, for the size of planes we are servicing and the number of people,” Saeed admitted. “Obviously that takes time to address. We are in active conversations with our airline partners and stakeholders to come up with a long-term plan that solves this issue.”
While a long-term plan is being developed, Saeed cited recent improvements, including upgrades to eight more sets of airport restrooms this year, the installation of new one-way exit doors at Terminals D and E, and new seats in gate waiting areas.
The improvements are critical to welcoming visitors for the semiquincentennial events of 2026, said Mayor Cherelle Parker.
“We all know that an airport is more than a place to catch a flight. It’s a first impression,” she said. “For millions of visitors, this is their first ‘hello’ from Philadelphia, and it has to be a good one.”
At the State of the Airport event, airport officials also introduced a rebranded logo — a new lowercase “phl” and the catchphrase, “Good things start here.”