Detroit Metro Airport ranks No. 2 for passenger satisfaction in largest North American airports
Detroit Metro Airport ranks second highest in passenger satisfaction among the biggest airports for a third consecutive year in the J.D. Power North America Airport Satisfaction Study.
With a score of 663, DTW ranks behind Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which ranks No. 1 with a score of 684, in the 2026 passenger satisfaction study for the largest airports category. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport follows DTW with a score of 642.
The annual study ranks airports against each other in separate size-based categories, including mega airports (33 million or more passengers a year) — where DTW is categorized — large airports (10 to 32.9 million passengers a year), and medium airports (4.5 to 9.9 million passengers a year).
J.D. Power ranks airports by measuring overall passenger satisfaction across seven criteria: ease of travel through the airport; level of trust in the airport; terminal facilities; airport staff; departure experience; food, beverage and retail; and arrival experience.
Among large airports, the study ranks Tampa International Airport (715), Portland International Airport (708) and Dallas Love Field (698) in first, second and third place, respectively.
As for medium airports, Charleston International Airport (712), Ontario International Airport (705) and Indianapolis International Airport (695) rank first, second and third, respectively.
All of the highest-ranked airports in the study have recently completed or are close to completing multi-year, over-a-billion-dollar capital improvement projects, according to J.D. Power.
"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," said Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power.
The study found that improvement projects, clear signage, bold and unique design and authentic local food and beverage brands, balanced with nationally familiar brands, have increased the scores of airports that implement them.
"On the whole, those efforts are finally starting to pay off in the form of higher overall passenger satisfaction scores. 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," Taylor said.
According to J.D. Power, the 2026 study is based on 24,710 completed surveys from U.S. or Canadian residents who traveled through at least one U.S. or Canadian airport and covers both departure and arrival experiences. The study was fielded from July 2025 through July 2026.
