Denver airport satisfaction improves but lags peers

By the numbers: DIA ranked 18th out of 20 North American mega airports in JD Power's annual survey, released Wednesday.

• Denver's airport scored 602 out of 1,000 — up slightly from 596 last year.
• It's the second straight year passenger satisfaction has risen.

Yes, but: DIA is losing ground.

• Its score is 15 points below the mega-airport average.
• That gap has more than doubled since 2024, when DIA ranked 12th.

The big picture: JD Power's survey shows passenger satisfaction this year rose significantly across North American airports despite travel volumes remaining near record highs.

• JD Power credits much of the improvement to major airport construction projects finally wrapping up.

Reality check: Denver travelers have a while to go before construction cones disappear.

• The multibillion-dollar Great Hall renovation is expected to finish in late 2027 — just as another major terminal expansion ramps up.
• City leaders last month approved a $135 million contract to expand the north terminal. That runs for 10 years, the Denver Business Journal reports.

Zoom out: Minneapolis-St. Paul topped JP Morgan's mega-airport category for a third consecutive year, followed by Detroit and Phoenix.

How it works: JD Power surveyed nearly 25,000 U.S. and Canadian travelers about everything from ease of travel and terminal facilities to airport staff and dining.