Congrats Twin Cities - your airport is the best in North America. For the second consecutive year, MSP International is ranked number one in the "Mega Airport" category by JD Power's annual list of consumer satisfaction.
Anaheim's John Wayne Airport is first in the "Large Airport" category while Indianapolis International Airport was first in the "Medium Airport" list.
The airport rankings based on consumer satisfaction also showed an overall bump from 2024. On a scale out of 1,000 points, overall satisfaction with "mega" airports — which J.D. Power defines as airports with 33 million or more passengers per year — was up 8 points.
Overall satisfaction with "large" airports, which see 10 million to 32.9 million passengers each year, was up 15 points, while satisfaction with "medium" airports — those with 4.5 million to 9.9 million passengers annually — was up 10 points.
While MSP took the top spot with 660 points in 2025, it was actually down 11 points compared to last year. That's still enough to keep it ahead of both Detroit's Wayne County Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor in second and third respectively.
Dallas-Forth Worth and Harry Reid (Las Vegas) rounded out the top five.
Newark, after a year of massive struggles for the New York City-based airport, finished dead last.
One place MSP Airport and the other top airports shine is with food, beverage and retail. Those numbers were up across the board.
“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."
MSP Airport, and main airline partner Delta, are in the midst of the largest overhaul of the airport since 1962, a $242 million facelift of Terminal 1. That work is expected to continue through the end of this year.
Key findings of the 2025 study:
Many airports continue to experience record passenger volumes: Despite record numbers of passengers and widespread flight cancellations and delays, overall satisfaction increases 8 points for mega airports, 10 points for medium airports and 15 points for large airports.
Local flavors make a big difference: One of the bigger drivers of this year’s increase in passenger satisfaction is food, beverage and retail programs, which improved 14 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.
Airport experience wields major influence on passenger spending: Passengers who rate their airport experience as “perfect” spend an average of $42.39 in the terminal. That is $16.54 more than passengers who rate their airport experience as “just OK.” Perfect experiences are rare, however, occurring in just 11% of journeys through the airport.
Mega airport passengers experience longer wait times, more crowding: On average, 56% of passengers traveling through medium airports and 50% of those traveling through large airports spent 10 minutes or less getting through security. These passengers are also more likely to characterize the airport as “mildly crowded” or “not at all crowded.” Among mega airport passengers, however, 23% spent 21 minutes or more getting through security and 57% describe the airport as “moderately crowded.”
Mega Airports
1. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP): 660
2. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW): 649
3. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): 634
4. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW): 620
5. Harry Reid International Airport (LAS): 619
7. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK): 618 (tie)
7. Orlando International Airport (MCO): 618 (tie)
9. Miami International Airport (MIA) - 615
10. San Francisco International Airport (SFO): 613
11. Boston Logan International Airport (BOS): 608
12. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL): 606 (tie)
12. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH): 606 (tie)
14. Denver International Airport (DEN): 596
15. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL): 590
16. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): 589
17. O'Hare International Airport (ORD): 586
18. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA): 583
19. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT): 581
20. Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ): 567
21. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR): 565
Large Airports
1. John Wayne Airport (SNA): 730
2. Tampa International Airport (TPA): 709
3. Dallas Love Field (DAL): 705
4. Kansas City International Airport (MCI): 691
5. Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU): 688
6. Portland International Airport (PDX): 683
7. Nashville International Airport (BNA): 676
8. Vancouver International Airport (YVR): 671
9. Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC): 665
10. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY): 664
11. Sacramento International Airport (SMF): 662
12. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI): 650 (tie)
12. San Antonio International Airport (SAN): 650 (tie)
12. San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC): 650 (tie)
15. San Diego International Airport (SAN): 645
16. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS): 643 (tie)
16. William P. Hobby Airport (HOU): 643 (tie)
18. LaGuardia Airport (LGA): 637
19. Midway International Airport (MDW): 631
20. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA): 623
21. Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK): 618
22. Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL): 617
23. Dulles International Airport (IAD): 612
24. Calgary International Airport (YYC): 610
25. St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL): 602
26. Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL): 571
27. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL): 570
Medium Airports
1. Indianapolis International Airport (IND): 713
2. Ontario International Airport (ONT): 709
3. Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF): 698
4. Jacksonville International Airport (JAX): 695
5. Palm Beach International Airport (PBI): 688
6. Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE): 685
7. Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW): 683
8. Bradley International Airport (BDL): 675
9. Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR): 663
10. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG): 660
11. John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH): 639 (tie)
11. Pittsburgh International Airport: 639 (tie)
13. Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ): 627
14. Kahului Airport (OGG): 626
15. Eppley Airfield (OMA): 618
16. Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW): 614
17. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE): 611
18. Edmonton International Airport (YEG): 602