John Wayne Airport Ranks High For Traveler Satisfaction

SANTA ANA, CA —Orange County's John Wayne Airport was recognized traveler good treatment in a recent study, amid a downturn in air travel due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The airport topped the J.D. Power 2020 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, the company announced Wednesday. Grouping results by Mega airports, large airports, and

Sky Harbor ranked the highest in passenger satisfaction among 'mega' airports with a score of 805 out of a possible 1,000. Miami International Airport ranked second with 801 and McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas slid into third with 797 points.

In Large airports, Dallas Love Field ranked highest with a score of 844. In a tie for second, John Wayne Airport, Orange County and Tampa International Airport, both scored 837 to rank second in the study.

Mega airports include those with 33 million or more passengers per year.

Large airports, like John Wayne Airport, boasted 10 to 32.9 million passengers per year. Medium airports typically see 4.5 to 9.9 million passengers annually.

While satisfaction with airports in the country has risen throughout the pandemic, the J.D. Power report said that is largely due to the lower number of travelers taking flight. Passenger volume this past Labor Day reached 40 percent of what it did in 2019, according to the report.

“Compared to the pre-COVID-19 environment when most airports were running significantly over capacity, the lack of crowds and long lines is actually creating a very convenient experience for travelers right now, Michael Taylor, J.D. Power's travel intelligence lead, said in a statement. "Obviously, this lower passenger volume is not sustainable for most airports. Airport managers are doing all they can to provide a safe and clean environment to facilitate a rebound in travel.”

The report, in its 15th year, is based on approximately 26,058 completed surveys from U.S. or Canadian residents who traveled through at least one U.S. or Canadian airport in the last 30 days. The survey was conducted from August 2019 to July 2020.

John Wayne Airport has not been immune to the economic effects of the virus.

In April, the CARES Act included billions in relief for airports, of which John Wayne Airport was awarded almost $45 million.

Have you flown out of John Wayne Airport lately? Do you agree with their traveler satisfaction report? Let us know in comments, or byemailing your Patch editor.

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