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Millions of people travel every year and most of them have to navigate through airports to reach their destination.
The experience that a person has as they catch flights can vary from airport to airport.
A new report from AirHelp sheds light on how airports in the U.S. performed, giving 250 airports from around the world a ranking in its 2025 AirHelp Score.
The organization said it looked at on-time performance during a one-year period from June 1 of last year to May 31 of this year. It also factored in how travelers reported they felt about their experience at the airports and their opinions on the food and shopping that they offer.
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“Our goal with the AirHelp Score is to use the data to provide travelers with an in-depth look at how airports are performing and help guide their flight booking decisions,” AirHelp CEO Tomasz Pawliszyn said in a statement. “It is the passengers’ experience that is the most important here.”
AirHelp found these airports were the worst in the U.S.:
Newark Liberty Airport
A taxi drives towards Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey on May 7, 2025. Regulators have been slowing arrivals and departures at one of the United States’ busiest airports following a 90-second traffic control system outage on (KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Of the 34 U.S. airports included in the AirHelp Score report, Newark Liberty International Airport received the lowest score, at 7.25. The airport services tens of millions of passengers each year, with 48.9 million flying through it in 2024, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Fort Lauderdale Hollywood Airport
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 09: Terminals sit empty at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport ahead of Hurricane Milton on October 09, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images) (James D. Morgan/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport’s AirHelp Score was 7.38 this year. The airport, which the organization found to be the second-worst in the U.S., is located in South Florida.
Philadelphia Airport
Travelers arrive at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021. Citing a surge in unruly passengers, U.S. aviation regulators are calling on the nation’s airports to encourage the police to a (Photographer: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
A score of 7.41 earned Philadelphia International Airport the ranking of No. 32 among U.S. airports and No. 188 globally, according to AirHelp.
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These were the U.S. airports that AirHelp said ranked the highest:
Salt Lake City Airport
Travelers wearing protective masks walk through the main corridor of Terminal A on opening day of the Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020. The $4.1 billion replacement of the old Salt Lake Ci ( George Frey/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
AirHelp gave Utah’s Salt Lake City International Airport a 8.29 overall score, making it the top U.S. airport for a second year in a row. The airport reacted to the ranking on X, saying, “People say sequels can’t top the original… But SLC is back and better than ever!”
Los Angeles Airport
A Spirit Airlines plane taxis at Los Angeles International Airport on June 1, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Los Angeles International Airport received an 8.09, according to AirHelp. Its scores in two of the subcategories were both above 8, with it getting an 8.1 in on-time performance and 8.4 in food and shops.
Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – FEBRUARY 2023: Few passengers made for short lines ahead of an impending snowstorm forecasted to hit the Twin Cities later in the day, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023 at MSP Airport Terminal 1. (Photo by Anthony (Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was not far behind LAX, with AirHelp reporting an 8.07 overall for the airport. It uses the airport code “MSP.”
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Cape Town International Airport notched the global top spot in AirHelp’s yearly report, scoring an 8.57. The airport called its No. 1 ranking a “proud moment for South Africa and our country’s airport networks” in an X post.
