A new study by J.D. Power reveals that North American airports are successfully managing record passenger volumes while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.
The 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, released today, shows that airports are effectively handling the surge in air travel demand, despite rising costs and operational challenges.
The study comes as North American airports experienced a record-breaking day on July 7, 2024, with more than 3 million passengers passing through Transportation Safety Administration checkpoints.
Key findings from the study include:
1. Passenger satisfaction: 60% of North American airport passengers report enjoying their time at the airport, while 59% agree that airports helped alleviate travel stress.
2. Spending trends: Average passenger spending in terminals decreased by $3.53 per person compared to 2023, with large airports seeing a more significant decline of $6.31 per person.
3. Local identity: 70% of passengers agree that their airport reflects a genuine sense of its city or region.
4. Crowding impact: Airport satisfaction scores dropps significantly when terminals were perceived as severely crowded, though only 5% of passengers report such conditions in 2024.
"Huge air travel demand has not slowed down in North America, despite the steadily rising costs of flights, ground travel, hotel rooms and pretty much anything you can buy in an airport,” said Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power. “Most travelers are still enjoying the experience. However, we are starting to see a breaking point in consumer spending, with average spend per person in the terminal declining significantly from a year ago."
The study also ranked airports in three categories, based on passenger volume (into “mega,” “large” and “medium”).
Mega airports (33 million or more passengers per year):
1. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, St. Paul, Minnesota (671 points)
2. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Detroit, Michigan (643 points)
3. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix, Arizona (633 points)
Large airports (10 to 32.9 million passengers per year):
1. John Wayne Airport, Orange County, California (687 points)
2. Tampa International Airport, Tampa, Florida (685 points)
3. Kansas City International Airport, Kansas City, Missouri (683 points)
Medium airports (4.5 to 9.9 million passengers per year):
1. Indianapolis International Airport, Indianapolis, Indiana (687 points)
2. Jacksonville International Airport, Jacksonville, Florida (686 points)
3. Southwest Florida International Airport, Lee County, Florida (675 points)
The 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, now in its 19th year, was redesigned for 2024 and evaluated seven core dimensions: ease of travel through airport; level of trust with airport; terminal facilities; airport staff; departure/to airport experience; food, beverage and retail; and arrival/from airport experience.
The study was based on 26,290 completed surveys from U.S. or Canadian residents who traveled through at least one U.S. or Canadian airport in the past 30 days. Data collection took place from August 2023 through July 2024.
This article was generated by AI and based on a press release distributed by JD Power. It was reviewed by a TravelAge West editor.
