DENVER — Denver International Airport ranked 18th out of 20 mega airports in a recent JD Power North America Airport Satisfaction Study, a drop of 11 spots since 2023.
The airport ranked 14th last year, 12th in 2024, and 7th in 2023.
Ongoing construction at DIA has been a key factor dragging down traveler satisfaction. Long lines and crowds filled the airport on Friday.
Bob Kimbell, a longtime Loveland resident and DIA traveler, said the construction has made the airport harder to navigate.
"It's confusing as if I never was here before," Kimbell said.
Kimbell said the airport has not done enough to help travelers move through construction zones.
"They haven't done anything to simplify it to make it more easy to navigate through the construction zones," Kimbell said.
When told DIA ranked 18 out of 20, Kimbell said he was not surprised.
"I can believe it," Kimbell said.
Kimbell also pointed to a lack of clear directions as a persistent problem.
"They've changed the layout of the airport, but they don't have the signage to support where you're supposed to go," Kimbell said.
Denver International Airport Interim CEO Dave LaPorte has acknowledged the toll construction has taken on passengers.
"The number one thing we need to do is finish the Great Hall project. Our customers are fatigued from the from the construction," LaPorte said.
In a statement, an airport spokesperson said the Great Hall Project will be completed by the end of next year. One of its goals is to expand capacity to handle a rise in passenger numbers.
The statement also pushed back on the study's methodology, noting that DIA was compared to airports with roughly 50 million fewer annual passengers — including Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, which ranked first, and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, which ranked second.
Not all travelers share Kimbell's frustration. One father at the airport said he sees the construction as a sign of progress.
"I think the construction that we're seeing is really nice," he said. "It's better than having an old airport."
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