Denver International Airport ranked 18th among 20 mega airports in passenger satisfaction, according to the 2026 North America Airport Satisfaction Study by JD Power released this month.
DIA scored 602 out of 1,000 points, below the 684 recorded by Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, which ranked first for the third consecutive year. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport ranked second with 663, followed by Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with 642.
The study is based on 24,710 survey responses from U.S. and Canadian travelers between July 2025 and July 2026.
It measures passenger satisfaction across seven areas, including ease of travel, trust in the airport, terminal facilities, airport staff, transportation to and from the airport, and food, beverage and retail options.
The results come as DIA continues a series of major construction projects, including its long-running Great Hall renovation.
DIA’s score increased six points from last year, with the biggest gains in airport staff and ease of travel through the airport, according to Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at JD Power.
“Construction almost always negatively impacts passenger satisfaction at airports,” Taylor said. “Once construction is finished, there is a good chance we will see more improvement.”
The study found that passenger satisfaction at North American airports increased, even as passenger volumes remained high and major airport improvement projects were close to being completed.
Airport design also plays an important role in the passenger experience, Taylor said, influencing how travelers spend their time and money in the terminal.
“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,” Taylor said.
“On the whole, those efforts are finally starting to pay off in the form of higher overall passenger satisfaction scores.”
In recent years, DIA has ranked among the lower half of mega airports, which JD Power defines as airports serving 33 million or more passengers annually. It ranked 14th last year, 12th in 2024, seventh in 2023 and 14th in 2022.
“We know that our passengers are tired of the construction related to our renovations and upgrades in the last several years,” said Christine Pomorski, external communications manager at DIA.
“The good news is that the Great Hall will be completed by the end of next year. We are already seeing meaningful improvements as we have completed various milestones with more to come.”
DIA is in the final phase of its $1.3 billion Great Hall project, which is expected to be completed by December 2027.
Pomorski said DIA has made gains in passenger satisfaction with the security process, particularly wait times, as well as check-in and the overall friendliness of airport staff. She added that DIA’s concourse expansion program has also contributed to higher satisfaction but there are still parts of the airport that have not yet been modernized.
Additionally, the airport plans to convert a dormant underground tunnel into pedestrian walkways, giving travelers and employees another way to reach the concourses without relying on DIA’s train system.
Construction is scheduled to begin next year, with the 17-foot-wide walkways expected to open in 2028. In 2025, more than 82 million passengers passed through DIA, making it the fourth busiest airport in the U.S. and the world’s 10th busiest airport.
“Every decision, project and initiative at (DIA) begins with how the airport can improve the customer experience. We are confident that passengers will find value in our efforts to improve our services and facilities,” Pomorski said.
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