Last month, JD Power released its annual North American Airport Satisfaction Survey for 2025.
A mega-airport is defined as an airport that serves more than 33 million passengers annually. The study measured overall passenger satisfaction by examining the passenger experience across seven key dimensions in order of importance:
Ease of movement at the airport Reliability with the airport Terminal facilities Airport staff Departure/Experiences to the airport Food/Retail Arrival at the airport/Experiences from the airport
The 2025 study is based on 30,439 completed surveys from U.S. or Canadian residents who traveled through at least one U.S. or Canadian airport, covering both departure and arrival experiences (including transit airports) over the past 30 days. The study was conducted from July 2024 to July 2025.
“While the annual growth rate in passenger traffic appears to be leveling off, record numbers of travelers are still using the nation’s airports, and most are enjoying the experience,” Michael Taylor, airport research practice lead at J.D. Power, said in a press release.
As in 2024, the top three airports remain the same, which is not surprising, Taylor told CNBC Make It.
“The three winning airports had a solid performance in what I call blocking and tackling. It’s about getting to the airport, are the restrooms clean, is TSA fast, things like that. And the most important part is food, beverage and retail, which are usually the biggest variables in the study,” he says.
While air travel has been affected as the government shutdown remains in place, Taylor said the satisfaction rankings for mega-airports in this year’s report remain unchanged.
His biggest advice this time of year is that travelers should be prepared to go nowhere.
“Please be prepared to get on the plane and avoid further delays,” he said. “People have a negative reaction to it and it does affect satisfaction, but it’s generally pretty temporary. It doesn’t last forever and we haven’t seen a big impact.”
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is once again North America’s premier “mega airport”
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport received a score of 660 out of 1,000, ranking No. 1 on the list.
The airport is ideally located between Minnesota’s two major cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul.
“The City of Minneapolis has a very good relationship from start to finish with the state Department of Transportation because signage is so important to a pleasant experience at the airport,” Taylor said.
“The airport has actual highway signs that tell you which terminal you go to, which is rare in the U.S. It’s a great way to incorporate Minnesota into the airport itself.
Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport
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According to MSP’s website, the airport will serve more than 37 million travelers in 2024, making it the 18th busiest airport in North America by annual passenger traffic.
In 2023, the airport was ranked as the most punctual airport in the world, according to a report by travel data analytics company Cirium.
10 Best “Mega Airports” in North America
This year, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport took second place with a score of 649 out of 1,000.
“Detroit is a solid airport. We’ve improved food, commerce, retail, and brought more of Detroit into the airport,” Taylor said. “The simplicity of the facilities makes it feel more spacious and allows people to spread out. It’s less stressful and TSA does a great job of getting people through very quickly.”
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Emily Elkonin | Getty Images News | Getty Images
