Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) has taken the top spot among North America's Mega airports in the J.D. Power 2026 Airport Satisfaction Study for the third year running — and it didn't just win, it swept the board. The airport scored 684 out of 1,000, finishing first in all seven measured categories: ease of travel, trust in the airport, terminal facilities, staff, the departure experience, the arrival experience, and food, beverage and retail. Detroit Metro (DTW) came second at 663, with Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) third at 642.
The result is striking given MSP's scale — roughly 36 million passengers in 2025 and Delta's second-largest hub by seat count. It beat the Mega-airport average by 67 points. J.D. Power gathered 24,710 traveller surveys between July 2025 and July 2026, grouping airports into Mega, Large and Medium categories. Elsewhere on the podium, Tampa International (TPA) topped the Large category at 715 — the highest score of any US airport in the study — while Charleston (CHS) led the Medium airports at 712. At the other end, Chicago O'Hare and Newark Liberty shared last place among Mega airports at 585, and Philadelphia finished last among large airports for a sixth consecutive year.
There's an airline angle too. An analysis weighting each airport score by carrier departures shows Delta's nine hubs averaging 636 points — 22 points ahead of American's hub portfolio and 34 points ahead of United's. Minneapolis (684), Salt Lake City (682) and Detroit (663) anchor Delta's lead, and LaGuardia has become a genuine turnaround story: Delta's $4 billion Terminal C rebuild has lifted the once-notorious airport to fourth among Mega hubs. MSP itself just benefited from a $242 million modernisation refreshing six Terminal 1 concourses, while Salt Lake City is wrapping up a $5.1 billion rebuild.
The caveat: Atlanta, Delta's biggest hub, scores just 606 — below the Mega average — proving money and branding don't guarantee satisfaction. But for travellers, the takeaway is simple. If you're flying through the upper Midwest, MSP is about as painless as a major US hub gets: quick transfers, decent food options, and terminal facilities that passengers consistently rate above every peer in its size class. It's a strong entry point for a Twin Cities trip, whether that's a summer visit to the lakes or a winter city break.