Airports in Western Canada rank somewhat better in consumer satisfaction compared with their eastern counterparts, according to a new study.
J.D. Power has ranked Calgary and Vancouver airports at spots 10 and 17.
Toronto and Montreal airports were near-bottom in the race for passenger satisfaction this year.
The study ranks Toronto Pearson Airport second from the bottom in the category for the largest airports that see more than 33 million passengers per year.
Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport stood third from the bottom in the next category, with passenger traffic between 10 million and 32.9 million per year.
As a whole, the report suggests overall satisfaction among all North American passengers has improved since last year despite obstacles including ongoing pilot shortages, weather-related delays and cancellations, and high passenger demands.
Michael Taylor of J.D. Power says it has not been an easy year for North American airports but major capital improvements helped many of them manage the passenger surge to run at full capacity.
The report, which surveyed 27,147 people travelling through at least one U.S. or Canadian airport between August 2022 and July 2023, suggests crowding will continue to be a challenge for the foreseeable future.
Toronto Pearson says there have been efforts to address passenger satisfaction.
"While we are disappointed with the results, the (Greater Toronto Airports Authority) has been working non-stop with airlines, agencies and other partners to improve and streamline the passenger experience since last year's restart," it said in a statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2023.
The Canadian Press
