John Wayne Airport ranks #1 in national arport satisfaction study

(SANTA ANA, CA) – John Wayne Airport (JWA) is proud to announce its #1 ranking in Customer Satisfaction among Large Airports in the J.D. Power 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study. This prestigious recognition reflects JWA’s unwavering commitment to providing an exceptional guest experience.

“John Wayne Airport’s #1 ranking in the J.D. Power Satisfaction Study is a tremendous achievement and a reflection of the Airport’s vital role in Orange County’s thriving economy. A superior airport experience is crucial not just for leisure travelers, but for the businesses that rely on travel to connect with clients, partners, and markets,” said Chairman Donald P. Wagner, Third District Supervisor.

Supervisor Katrina Foley, Fifth District, praised the recognition, saying, “John Wayne Airport continues to be a shining example of excellence in Orange County. Earning the #1 spot for customer satisfaction demonstrates our focus on quality, safety, and the traveler experience. This achievement is not only a win for JWA but for our entire community.”

The 2024 study introduced a new satisfaction index model based on seven core dimensions. The updated model reflects the evolving priorities of travelers and the changing landscape of airport services. Measured dimensions of traveler satisfaction include, Level of Trust with the Airport, Arrival Experience, Terminal Facilities, Food, Beverage, and Retail, Ease of Travel Through the Airport, Airport Staff, and Departure Experience.

John Wayne Airport excelled in three of the study’s core dimensions:

• Ease of Travel Through the Airport
• Arrival Experience
• Level of Trust with the Airport

“We are thrilled to be named the top large airport for customer satisfaction in North America,” said Charlene Reynolds, Airport Director. “Our ability to lead in key areas like traveler trust, ease of travel, and the overall airport experience is a testament to our team’s dedication and the superior quality of service we strive to provide every day.”

JWA has consistently ranked among the top airports in the J.D. Power study, securing the #2 position in 2020, 2022, and 2023, and having previously earned the #1 spot in 2017 and 2018, and now reclaiming its top position in 2024.

About the J.D. Power 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study

Following are some key findings of the 2024 study:

• Airports successfully navigate record passenger volumes: Despite record numbers of passengers and widespread flight cancellations and delays, 60% of North American airport passengers say they “somewhat agree” or “strongly agree” they enjoyed spending time in their airport. Another 59% say they agree that their airport helped to alleviate the stress of travel.
• Rising costs may finally be reaching a breaking point: For many years, the single lowest-scoring attribute in the study has been reasonableness of food and beverage pricing—but it has not really affected passengers’ overall satisfaction. That trend may be ending, however. On average, passengers this year spent $3.53 per person less than they did in 2023 on food, beverage and other items in the terminal. The decline is greatest among large airports where passengers have reduced their spending by an average of $6.31.
• More airports delivering on unique, local identity: One of the key performance indicators separating top-performing airports from those that passengers merely tolerate is unique décor, signage, stores and restaurants that celebrate the region. Overall, 70% of passengers agree their airport reflects a genuine sense of its city or region.
• Crowding has significant effect on airport scores: The average overall satisfaction score when airport terminals are perceived as “not at all crowded” is 736 (on a 1,000-point scale). That score plummets to 429 when terminals are perceived to be “severely crowded.” However, just 5% of passengers say they experienced severely crowded conditions in 2024.

The North America Airport Satisfaction Study, now in its 19^th year, was redesigned for 2024. Scores in this year’s study are not comparable year over year with previous-year studies. The 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study measures overall passenger satisfaction with mega, large and medium North American airports by examining their experience across seven core dimensions (in order of importance): ease of travel through airport; level of trust with airport; terminal facilities; airport staff; departure/to airport experience; food, beverage and retail; and arrival/from airport experience. Mega airports are defined as those with 33 million or more passengers per year; large airports with 10 to 32.9 million passengers per year; and medium airports with 4.5 to 9.9 million passengers per year.

The 2024 study is based on 26,290 completed surveys from U.S. or Canadian residents who traveled through at least one U.S. or Canadian airport and covers both departure and arrival experiences (including connecting airports) during the past 30 days. Passengers evaluated either a departing or arriving airport from their round-trip experience. The study was fielded from August 2023 through July 2024.

For more information about the North America Airport Satisfaction Study, visit http://www.jdpower.com/resource/north-america-airport-satisfaction-study.

About J.D. Power

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services, and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 55 years. The world’s leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company’s business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto-shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

About John Wayne Airport

John Wayne Airport (SNA) is owned by the County of Orange and is operated as a self-supporting enterprise that receives no general fund tax revenue. The Airport serves more than 11.3 million passengers annually and reaches more than 40 nonstop destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. More information can be found at www.ocair.com. Like us on facebook.com/johnwayneairport, or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @johnwayneair and Instagram @johnwayneair.