Airports Council International Names MSP Best in North America

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) has once again earned top honors in the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ) program, which surveys customers at airports around the world.

ACI named MSP the Best Airport in North America in the 25-40 million passenger category for 2021, an honor shared with Salt Lake City International Airport. MSP was also named Best in North America for four straight years between 2016-2019. 

“It’s especially gratifying that MSP was honored and recognized by travelers at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has created so many challenges in our industry and impacts to the travel experience,” said Brian Ryks, CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), which operates MSP. “To be ranked among the best airports in the world is a testament to an unfailing focus on customers by commissioners and staff, and by our airport partners — federal agencies, airlines, concessionaires, tenants, the Airport Foundation MSP, the Armed Forces Service Center, and many others in the MSP Airport community.”

The ASQ program scores airports based on customer surveys conducted at airports in 91 countries. Customers answer questions about 34 key performance indicators to measure their satisfaction with their airport experience.  

“After a second year of the pandemic, this year’s ASQ winners are especially reflective of customer experience leadership during the most challenging time in our sector’s history,” said ACI World Director Luis Felipe de Oliveira. “We are exceedingly proud of their stellar leadership in delivering the very best customer experience.”

The ASQ survey recently added health and hygiene questions to assess customer feedback on the measures airports are taking in response to the pandemic. MSP has earned nationally recognized accreditations, including through ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation Program, which require rigorous cleaning and compliance with the latest health safety standards and practices.  

Prior to the pandemic, MSP had 10 consecutive years of total passenger growth, reaching a record 39.5 million passengers in 2019. MSP is ranked by ACI as the 17th busiest airport by passenger traffic in the United States.