The experience at an airport can make or break a trip, particularly when it comes to flight delays and cancellations.
When it comes to keeping operations prompt and flights on time, some facilities simply do a better job than others. At least, that’s what a new report on the best airports in the world shows.
The passenger assistance company AirHelp ranked 250 airports across 68 countries using its own internal flight database and feedback from passengers gathered about their flight experience from June 2024 through May 2025. Airports received a score of up to 10 points based on three factors: on-time performance, which accounts for 60% of the score; airport customer service, which makes up 20% of the score and includes wait times, airport staff, cleanliness, and accessibility; and food and shops in the airport, for an additional 20% score weight.
AirHelp gathered more than 13,500 passenger ratings to make its 2025 rankings. This year’s best airport in the world for on-time operations and customer service is South Africa’s Cape Town International Airport (CPT), with a score of 8.57 out of 10.
Only one U.S. airport made it into the global top 10. Salt Lake City Airport (SLC) ranked No. 8 in the world for on-time operations and customer service with a respectable score of 8.29 out of 10.
The worst-ranked U.S. airport was New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), with a score of 7.25 and a global ranking of 188. The New York-area hub has faced a year full of operational challenges, with air traffic control short-staffing and technical issues, runway construction, and weeks of cancellations and delays in the spring. The situation at Newark has since been resolved, but it highlighted the importance of choosing an airport with a solid record of on-time departures.
AirHelp also identified the top 10 airports in the U.S., and the rankings include hubs on both coasts, in the Midwest, and even in Hawaii. Booking flights to or from one of the top 10 facilities will give passengers a greater chance of avoiding operational headaches on their next flight.
Here are the 10 best airports in the U.S., according to AirHelp’s data:
Salt Lake City Airport: 8.29Los Angeles Airport: 8.09 Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport: 8.07Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport: 7.97Portland Airport: 7.96Nashville Airport: 7.93Chicago Midway Airport: 7.93Austin Bergstrom Airport: 7.9Houston William P. Hobby Airport: 7.9 Honolulu Daniel K Inouye Airport: 7.89
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