Minneapolis-Saint Paul tops mega airports in JD Power 2026 study

Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport topped the mega-airport category in JD Power’s 2026 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, marking the third straight year it has led the segment. The annual study, released Wednesday, asked travelers to grade airports on ease of travel, trust, facilities, staff, departures, arrivals, and food, beverage and retail options.

JD Power broke the rankings into three size categories. Among large airports, Tampa International finished first, and Charleston International led the medium-airport category.

Average satisfaction scores rose across all three segments despite increasing foot traffic, according to the study. Mega airports gained 14 points on average, large airports gained 13, and medium airports gained 16.

“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,” Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail, said in a JD Power news release.

“All of the highest-ranked airports in the study have recently completed, or are close to completing, multi-year, billion dollar+ capital improvement projects,” according to the study.

“On the whole, [airport improvement] efforts are finally starting to pay off in the form of higher overall passenger satisfaction scores,” Taylor said. “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.”

The study was based on a survey of 24,710 U.S. or Canada residents between July 2025 and July 2026.

• Mega airports: 1. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International (684); 2. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (663); 3. Phoenix Sky Harbor International (642); 4. LaGuardia (638); 5. Harry Reid International (634); 6. San Francisco International (630); 7. Miami International (628); 8. John F. Kennedy International (626); 9. Boston Logan International (622); 10. Orlando International (621).
• Large airports: 1. Tampa International (715); 2. Portland International (708); 3. Dallas Love Field (698); 4. Kansas City International (692); 5. Raleigh-Durham International (685); 6. Nashville International (683); 7. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (682); 8. Salt Lake City International (682); 9. Southwest Florida International (680); 10. John Wayne Airport (677).
• Medium airports: 1. Charleston International (712); 2. Ontario International (705); 3. Indianapolis International (695); 4. Milwaukee Mitchell International (694); 5. Hollywood Burbank (688); 6. Palm Beach International (682); 7. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (675); 8. Pittsburgh International (672); 9. Albuquerque International (671); 10. Jacksonville International (671).

Ratings are out of 1,000. See the JD Power website for the full results.