In a comprehensive online sentiment analysis of U.S. airports, a recent study delves into the sentiments surrounding these vital transit hubs analysing thousands of online documents, reviews, blog posts and comments using AI.
Most and Least Popular Airports:
5 Most Popular Airports:
- T.F. Green Airport, Rhode Island
- Wilmington Airport, Delaware
- Des Moines International Airport, Iowa
- Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, Montana
- Indianapolis International Airport, Indiana
5 Least Popular Airports:
- Sioux Falls Regional Airport, South Dakota
- Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, Mississippi
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Maryland
- Eppley Airfield, Nebraska
- Harry Reid International Airport (formerly McCarran), Nevada
Regional Trends:
- West Coast airports show slightly lower average sentiments compared to East Coast and Central U.S. airports.
- The Northern U.S. airports generally fare better in sentiment than their Southern counterparts.
Airport Size vs Sentiment:
The study reveals a very weak correlation between airport size and sentiment. Smaller airports show more variability in sentiment, suggesting a diverse range of experiences. Whereas larger airports tended to all cluster around a similar middling experience, despite some having great food offerings as reviewed on the web.
Impact of Culinary Offerings:
Focusing on airports renowned for their food, such as George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Texas, and Denver International Airport, Colorado, the study finds a marginal positive correlation between high-quality food offerings and sentiment. However, this factor alone does not significantly elevate overall sentiment.
Concluding Insights:
The study underscores the multifaceted nature of airport experiences. While aspects like culinary quality and regional location play a role, the overall sentiment towards airports is influenced by a complex mix of factors, highlighting the challenge in crafting universally satisfying airport experiences.
Full Data:
| Rank | Airport | Average Sentiment |
| 1 | T.F. Green Airport, Rhode Island | 9.98 |
| 2 | Wilmington Airport, Delaware | 7.15 |
| 3 | Des Moines International Airport, Iowa | 6.61 |
| 4 | Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, Montana | 6.60 |
| 5 | Indianapolis International Airport, Indiana | 6.55 |
| 6 | Jackson Hole Airport, Wyoming | 6.38 |
| 7 | Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Kentucky | 6.28 |
| 8 | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona | 6.06 |
| 9 | Kansas City International Airport, Missouri | 6.00 |
| 10 | Burlington International Airport, Vermont | 5.67 |
| 11 | Bradley International Airport, Connecticut | 5.62 |
| 12 | Charlotte Douglas International Airport, North Carolina | 5.54 |
| 13 | Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Minnesota | 5.43 |
| 14 | General Mitchell International Airport, Wisconsin | 5.38 |
| 15 | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Georgia | 5.30 |
| 16 | Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, Arkansas | 5.13 |
| 17 | Los Angeles International Airport, California | 5.05 |
| 18 | Miami International Airport, Florida | 5.00 |
| 19 | Will Rogers World Airport, Oklahoma | 4.89 |
| 20 | John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York | 4.88 |
| 21 | Hector International Airport, North Dakota | 4.87 |
| 22 | Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Alaska | 4.87 |
| 23 | Nashville International Airport, Tennessee | 4.79 |
| 24 | Denver International Airport, Colorado | 4.77 |
| 25 | Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Louisiana | 4.73 |
| 26 | Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Alabama | 4.71 |
| 27 | Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Michigan | 4.70 |
| 28 | Boise Airport, Idaho | 4.64 |
| 29 | Philadelphia International Airport, Pennsylvania | 4.58 |
| 30 | Dulles International Airport, Virginia | 4.56 |
| 31 | Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Washington | 4.49 |
| 32 | Boston Logan International Airport, Massachusetts | 4.35 |
| 33 | Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Illinois | 4.35 |
| 34 | Yeager Airport, West Virginia | 4.34 |
| 35 | George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Texas | 4.16 |
| 36 | Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, New Hampshire | 4.12 |
| 37 | Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Hawaii | 4.10 |
| 38 | Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, Kansas | 4.09 |
| 39 | Albuquerque International Sunport, New Mexico | 4.02 |
| 40 | Charleston International Airport, South Carolina | 4.00 |
| 41 | Harry Reid International Airport (formerly McCarran), Nevada | 3.98 |
| 42 | Eppley Airfield, Nebraska | 3.36 |
| 43 | Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Maryland | 3.12 |
| 44 | Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, Mississippi | 1.65 |
| 45 | Sioux Falls Regional Airport, South Dakota | 1.14 |
Methodology:
73576 search results for the top airport in each State: reviews, blogs and discussions of them were obtained.
These were analyzed using Google’s Vertex AI platform for sentiment (scored 0-10) of each genuine mention – information pages etc were excluded.
Airports without enough discussion to analyze were excluded resulting in 45 State airports being reviewed and ordered by their online sentiment in those reviews, blogs and discussions.
Fair Use:
If you are a journalist or writer all this information is released free to use – however please exercise fair use and link back to this page so your readers can delve into the full study.
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