Passengers are increasingly happy with their trips through Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The facility surged to No. 5 this year from No. 13 last year among large airports in J.D. Power's airport satisfaction rankings.
Why it matters: RDU serves one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation. It's added several high-profile internationalroutes in the last year, and the airport is embarking on an ambitious, $3 billion construction plan over the next decade to accommodate the region's growth.
Between the lines: Passengers find RDU "calmer, more passenger-focused and more reliable" than other airports, Michael Taylor, practice lead for travel intelligence at J.D. Power, tells Axios.
And central parking is adjacent to and walkable to the terminals, eliminating a major pain point. The more stressed out a passenger is heading into the airport, the less happy they'll be when they're inside, he adds.
Yes, but: Generally, the more crowded an airport is, and the more construction obstructs their experience, Taylor adds, the less satisfied people are going to be with an airport.
That's why Charlotte Douglas International, one of the world's busiest airports that just wrapped up a major $608 million lobby expansion, fell from No. 15 last year to No. 18 this year in J.D. Power's rankings.
