Airports earn higher marks in annual survey, despite crowds. Here’s how RDU did.
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- RDU jumped from 13th to 5th among large U.S. airports in J.D. Power rankings.
- New local dining options drove higher food and beverage satisfaction at RDU.
- RDU plans Terminal 2 expansion to help manage record crowds.
Travelers are apparently happier with Raleigh-Durham International Airport than they were last year, according to the latest customer-satisfaction survey from J.D. Power.
RDU ranks fifth in passenger satisfaction among the nation’s “large” airports in a report released Wednesday. That’s up from 13th last year.
Higher scores for food and beverage offerings accounted for the rise, says Michael Taylor, who analyzed the survey data for the consumer analytics firm. Taylor, J.D. Power’s managing director of travel, hospitality and retail, said people passing through the terminals especially appreciate new locally based restaurants and bars.
“Today’s travelers want to have unique experiences, to see and eat things that aren’t available in their own hometowns,” he wrote in an email. “Passengers are more willing to part with their hard-earned money if the quality is there, and RDU seems to be doing just that in 2025.”
RDU has consistently rated in the top 5 among large airports in J.D. Power’s surveys. Last year’s 13th finish was an anomaly, one Taylor said resulted from relatively low scores for food and beverage.
RDU has struggled to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, when several restaurants and retailers closed, leaving more than a dozen walled-off spaces in the terminals. Behind those walls, contractors have been working on new restaurants and bars, which began opening last summer.
Among them are Raleigh-based Black & White Coffee Roasters, North Raleigh deli Bongiorno & Son, and cocktail bar Carolina Craft and the 95-seat restaurant Crawford’s Genuine, both from Triangle chef Scott Crawford.
Another eight breweries and restaurants are scheduled to open at RDU this fall and winter, most of them airport versions of local establishments.
Aside from doing more to appeal to travelers’ stomachs, RDU faces challenges from its own success, Taylor said. The airport handled a record 15.5 million passengers in 2024 and is on pace for another record this year.
“There are many more passengers in the airport than previous years, and crowding creates problems with seating, waiting and maintaining cleanliness,” Taylor wrote. “But more passengers is a problem an airport WANTS to have, considering the alternative.”
Construction has begun to expand RDU’s main terminal to make room for more ticket counters, baggage carousels and security checkpoints, as well as enlarge the space for international arrivals.
How J.D. Power measures consumer satisfaction
The annual study is based on 30,439 passenger surveys from July 2024 through July 2025. It looks at airport performance in seven categories, in descending order of importance: ease of travel through the airport; level of trust with the airport; terminal facilities; airport staff; the experience as a departing passenger; food, beverage and retail; and the experience as an arriving passenger.
J.D. Power surveys travelers at 65 airports in the U.S. and Canada that it divides into three categories based on passenger volume: medium, large and “mega,” those handling more than 33 million passengers a year.
The average score for the 27 large airports, out of a possible 1,000, was 644 this year. RDU had 688 points. The top airport in the large category was John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, with 730 points. At the bottom was Philadelphia International, with 570 points.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a hub for American Airlines, ranked 18th out of 20 mega airports, with 581 points. Minneapolis-St. Paul topped the category with 660 points, while Newark Liberty came in last with 565.
No other North Carolina airports were included in the study.
Overall, passenger satisfaction scores were up 10 points this year, Taylor said, largely because of improvements in food, beverage and retail and ease of travel through the airport. Several airports recently completed renovation or expansion projects, he noted, which helped them earn higher marks.
“While the annual growth rate in passenger volume seems to be leveling off, we’re still seeing record numbers of travelers pass through the nation’s airports,” Taylor said. “And, for the most part, they are enjoying the experience.”
This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Airports earn higher marks in annual survey, despite crowds. Here’s how RDU did.."
