Toronto Pearson ranks second last in new airport satisfaction study

A study ranking major airport hubs in North America has placed Toronto Pearson International Airport near dead last.

The 2021 North America Airport Satisfaction Study by J.D. Power measures overall traveller satisfaction by monitoring six factors: terminal facilities, airport arrival and departure, baggage claim, security check-in and baggage check, and food beverage and retail.

• See also:
  • Toronto’s Pearson Airport named the cleanest in North America
  • Toronto Pearson Airport warns residents to expect increased noise
  • Pearson tells travellers to expect delays as border reopens

Airports are given a rank out of 1,000. Among mega airports, defined by the study as airports with 33 million or more passengers per year, Toronto Pearson nabbed a score of 780 in second last place. Chicago’s O’Hare airport brought up the rear with 772 points. The average score was 798.

J.D Power/2021 North America Airport Satisfaction Study

The pandemic has created a change in attitude for air travellers who marked all-time high satisfaction rates during the height of the pandemic when airports and flights had few passengers, according to the study.

Satisfaction is beginning to drop off again as more and more travellers take to the skies and airports adapt to high traffic combined with pandemic restrictions.

It’s not all bad news for Toronto Pearson. In March, the Airports Council International ranked Pearson as one of the best in the region for hygiene. In addition, ACI ranked it among the best airports by size and region for the fourth year in a row.