North America Airport Satisfaction Study
Understand What Makes Airports Work for Travelers
The JD Power North America Airport Satisfaction Study measures passenger satisfaction among business and leisure travelers at major airports in North America across the entire airport experience—from curbside arrival to gate departure and baggage claim—based on a recent travel experience.
An End‑to‑End View of the Airport Experience
The study measures eight key passenger experience dimensions:
• Terminal facilities
• Security screening
• Check-in and baggage
• Wayfinding and accessibility
• Food and retail
• Cleanliness standards
• Staff courtesy
• Ground transportation
Includes:
• Airport size segmentation
• Facility type comparisons
• Amenity and service tracking
• Competitive benchmarking
How the Airport Satisfaction Study Works
• Surveys passengers based on recent airport travel experiences
• Measures satisfaction across all key airport journey touchpoints
• Segments results by airport size and facility type
• Applies KPI analysis to identify highest-impact improvement areas
• Delivers benchmarking insights to support operational and investment decisions
Improve Operations, Elevate Passenger Experience
• Provides competitive benchmarks across peer airports and industry performance leaders
• Identifies key drivers of satisfaction across the entire airport journey experience
• Enables deep analysis through online data portals and trend tracking tools
• Delivers executive insights with recommendations and best practices for improvement
• Supports strategic planning with actionable data on passenger expectations and needs
Increase Satisfaction, Drive Airport Revenue Growth
• Improves passenger satisfaction through targeted enhancements across critical airport touchpoints
• Increases non-aeronautical revenue through better retail and service experiences
• Strengthens brand reputation with improved operational performance and passenger perception
• Enhances traffic flow efficiency by addressing key operational friction points
• Supports investment decisions with clear insights into passenger priorities and expectations
Key Dates
2026
Fielding Begins: July 2025
First Data Publish: December 3, 2025
Second Data Publish: March 4, 2026
Third Data Publish: June 3, 2026
Final Results and Press Release: September 16, 2026
*Subject to change; updated on 03/18/2026
view all travel and hospitality study dates
Press Release & Award Information
JD Power issues a national press release highlighting key findings and top-to-bottom rankings from the study. The brand(s) that rank highest in each award-eligible segment and meet predetermined award criteria will have the opportunity to enter into a licensing agreement through the JD Power Awards Program, which requires subscribing to the study as a prerequisite. Entering into a licensing agreement provides top-ranked brands with the valuable opportunity to market their award-winning performance. As the trusted symbol of excellence, JD Power Awards enhance brand perceptions, drive consumer preference, and differentiate awarded brands in competitive marketplaces.
Profiled Brands
Mega
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) (Large segment for 2025 study; mega segment for 2026 study)
Denver International Airport (DEN)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Miami International Airport (MIA)
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) (Mega segment for 2025 study; Canada segment for 2026 study)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport/Wold (MSP)
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Large
Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) (Large segment for 2025 study; Canada segment for 2026 study)
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
San Diego International Airport (SAN)
Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
Tampa International Airport (TPA)
Portland International Airport (PDX)
Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) (Large segment for 2025 study; Canada segment for 2026 study)
Calgary International Airport (YYC) (Large segment for 2025 study; Canada segment for 2026 study)
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) (Medium segment for 2025 study; large segment for 2026 study)
Dallas Love Field (DAL)
St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)
Nashville International Airport (BNA)
William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
Oakland International Airport (OAK) (Updated to Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport for 2026 study)
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
San Jose International Airport (SJC)
John Wayne Airport, Orange County (SNA)
Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport
Indianapolis International Airport
San Jose Mineta International Airport
Medium
Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Charleston International Airport (CHS) (2026 study only)
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
Edmonton International Airport (YEG) (Medium segment for 2025 study; Canada segment for 2026 study)
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
Kahului Airport (OGG)
Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)
Bradley International Airport (BDL)
Jacksonville International Airport (JAX)
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ)
Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) (2025 study only)
Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) (2025 study only)
Eppley Airfield (OMA)
Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)
Ontario International Airport (ONT)
Canada (2027 study only)
Calgary International Airport (YYC) (2027 study only)
Edmonton International Airport (YEG) (2027 study only)
Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) (2027 study only)
Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) (2027 study only)
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) (2027 study only)
Who should use it
Designed for Airport Experience Leaders
• Airport authorities and operators
• Airline and concession partners
• Operations and passenger experience teams
• Strategy and infrastructure planning teams
• Customer experience and insights leaders
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