Tampa International Airport has reclaimed the top spot in J.D. Power's national large-airport customer satisfaction study, earning the No. 1 ranking for the third time in five years, per reporting by @leahburdickreports. The airport had placed second in the same survey for two consecutive years before returning to first.
In this year's results, Tampa International also ranked second for ease of travel through the terminal and for airport staff, and placed third in food, beverage, and retail — the three subcategories the source identified. The airport handles more than 24 million passengers annually.
The recognition arrives during an active construction phase. Airside D, a 600,000-square-foot expansion currently under way, will add 16 gates and a new U.S. Customs facility to the airport's footprint. The project is the airport's largest active capital undertaking, though the source provided no projected completion date.
Tampa International's arc in the J.D. Power rankings — a win, two consecutive runner-up finishes, and a return to first — reflects a consistent standing in the field rather than a single strong year. The third-place result in food, beverage, and retail, a category that has drawn investment across major airports, indicates one area still trailing top performers even in a headline year.
With Airside D under construction and annual throughput already north of 24 million passengers, the subcategory where the airport currently sits second — ease of travel through the terminal — is the metric most likely to shift once expanded airside capacity and the new Customs facility are operational. Whether those additions translate to a No. 1 finish across the board is the question the next survey cycle will answer.
