J.D. Power: MIA is North America’s most-improved mega airport

Miami International Airport is North America’s most-improved mega airport in customer satisfaction, after its overall score jumped 24 points in J.D. Power’s 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study^SM. MIA’s ranking surged from 10^th to 8^th place among the busiest airports in the study, based on 27,147 completed surveys from U.S. or Canadian residents who traveled through at least one U.S. or Canadian airport from August 2024 through July 2025.

“I am thrilled to see that the unprecedented investments we have made to transform the customer experience at MIA — from facility upgrades to increased workforce — are making such a strong impression on our visitors,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “The fact that MIA improved its customer satisfaction score while also serving record-breaking numbers during the busy fall and winter seasons speaks volumes about the significant progress we’re making at every step of the passenger journey. More importantly, these results reflect something deeper: the pride, professionalism, and dedication that define our airport community.”

The J.D. Power study measures overall traveler satisfaction by examining seven factors: departure experience; ease of travel; airport staff; food, beverage, and retail; terminal facilities; arrival experience; and level of trust. MIA surged in the customer satisfaction study while also serving 3.5 million more travelers in 2025 than the year before, for a new annual record of nearly 56 million passengers and the airport’s third-consecutive record-breaking year.

Over the last five years, MIA has ranked among the 10 best mega airports in the study, including the #1 overall ranking in 2021 and 4^th place in 2023. The improved J.D. Power ranking is the latest in a series of accolades MIA has received this year for its customer experience, including its Best Airport for Layovers Award from Global Traveler magazine and ranking in Food & Wine magazine’s annual list of Top 10 U.S. Airports for Food and Drink. 

MIA’s upward trend in customer satisfaction coincides with the ongoing progress of its $9 billion Modernization in Action (M.I.A.) Plan. Among its many recent milestones, MIA reopened its newest pair of renovated moving walkways this month, marking the 23^rd modernization of a moving walkway, elevator, or escalator at MIA this year. Fifteen more conveyance units are on schedule for completion by the end of 2025, putting the airport on track for 38 new and improved units this year to easily set a new annual record for the modernization program. More than 95% of these units are now operational as well — another record for MIA.

In addition to replacing more than 200 escalators, elevators, and moving walkways, the M.I.A. Plan is transforming every touchpoint of the passenger journey over the next five years, including major projects like renovating nearly 200 public restrooms; upgrading 75% of the airport’s passenger boarding bridges; opening the new 2,240-space Ibis garage in December; and completing the new Concourse K in 2029. 

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