Philadelphia International Airport ranked lowest in the “large airport” category in a recent study of North American airports. The study involved an extensive sample size of over 26,000 passengers who participated in the survey over the course of the year.

Using a thousand-point system for ranking, the average airport ranking in the category was 629, and Philadelphia scored nearly a hundred points below the average.

Bottom spot in the “large airport” category

In a recent

passenger satisfaction study done by research firm J.D. Power
, data from airports across North America were analyzed, and the data showed that Philadelphia International Airport
(PHL) ranked the lowest in passenger satisfaction under the “large airport” category. The data was analyzed, and the scoring was done out of a possible 1,000 points.

While the highest-ranking airport, John Wayne Airport
(SNA), scored 687 points, reports from the Philadelphia Magazine show that the average score of all the airports under the “large airport” category was 629, and PHL ranked the lowest with a score of 541.

PHL EQRoy Shutterstock

Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock

Apart from PHL, seven other US airports ranked below the average score of 629:

Airport

Score

Airport

Score

Airport

Score

San Antonio (SAT)

614

Oakland (OAK)

612

Washington (IAD)

611

San Diego (SAN)

610

Chicago Midway (MDW)

598

Honolulu (HNL)

593

St. Louis Lambert (STL)

583

Philadelphia (PHL)

541

The data also showed that two Canadian airports (Calgary and Montreal) had a below-average satisfaction score.

Based on seven key passenger satisfaction factors

The points and, subsequently, the ranking provided are based on the survey results in the seven key areas considered for this study:

  1. Terminal Facilities
  2. Airport Staff
  3. Ease of Travel
  4. Level of trust with the airport
  5. Food, beverage, and retail experience
  6. Departure experience
  7. Arrival experience

All these data were recorded from a sample size of 26,290 passengers who completed the survey, and the data revealed that some airports, such as Portland International Airport
(PDX), have improved significantly when compared to previous years.

New PDX terminal

Photo: Ema Peters Photography | Portland International Airport

Having ranked in 12th place within the large airport category in the study done in 2023, passenger satisfaction with the airport has reportedly increased significantly due to the facilities of the newly renovated terminal, thereby earning the airport 8th place in the ranking this year.

Portland International just opened its newly renovated terminal over a month ago and scored exceptionally well in the food and beverages factor of the study. The second phase of the airport expansion is already underway and is expected to be completed in early 2026.

Philadelphia looking at possible transformation

As per a post on X by a council member, Katherine Gilmore Richardson of the Philadelphia Council, the member visited Philadelphia International Airport earlier this week to discuss future developments, innovation, and transformation for PHL in order to transform the city’s travel experience.

In the post, Richardson stated,

I’m excited to see what’s next for our gateway to experience our country and the world!

While no details of possible transformations were provided, it is definitely a positive indication that passengers traveling through the airport could potentially see some improvements in the near future. Considering that the airport is a major hub for American Airlines
, it is possible that the airline might also play a contributing factor to improving the airport’s overall satisfaction.

Simple Flying has reached out to PHL airport to know more about any potential airport developments in the future. Any response received will be updated in this article.

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