Airline passengers continued to give middling ratings to Omaha’s Eppley Airfield. But survey and airport officials anticipate those ratings will eventually climb as passengers start to experience the improvements from the airport’s ongoing expansion and renovation.
Eppley ranked 15th out of 18 medium-sized airports, according to an annual survey of passenger satisfaction with North America airports released by market research firm J.D. Power on Wednesday. Eppley earned 618 points out of 1,000. Indianapolis International Airport has been ranked the top medium-sized airport for the fourth straight year with 713 points.
Michael Taylor, J.D. Power’s senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer service, attributed Eppley’s ranking to the ongoing construction and Eppley’s high passenger numbers.
Eppley is in the thick of a $950 million terminal expansion and renovation project that will add, among other things, the capacity for more flights — including international ones — upon the project’s completion in 2028. The airport will also add dining options for travellers.
Steve McCoy, chief strategy officer of the Omaha Airport Authority, noted the construction has been intense this year. In February, the current terminal was effectively split into north and south quadrants to facilitate the construction of a central pavilion that, when completed in 2027, will house a central security checkpoint and concessions.
The terminal split, McCoy said, has been the most “impactful” part of the construction project felt by passengers. He said the overall construction project is about 40% complete.
“The good news is the most impactful part is right now and we’re on our way to improving that,” McCoy said.
Passengers should start experiencing other improvements soon, McCoy said, before the central pavilion opens. Those include new pedestrian doors on the airport’s front drive, intended to enhance the flow of passengers between the split terminals.
A $65 million canopy opened this summer over Terminal Drive. The canopy protects passengers from precipitation as they enter and exit vehicles.
Taylor expressed optimism that Eppley’s score will rise once construction is complete.
“The phrase I always use is you have to break some eggs to make an omelette,” he said. “We’re in the breaking eggs phase right now. It doesn’t look pretty. But it’s going to be pretty nice when it’s done.”
The J.D. Power survey noted passengers give higher marks to airports that have some of their city’s and region’s local restaurants and retail shops inside their terminals.
Eppley will have more of those as part of the terminal expansion and renovation project. Some examples of Omaha and Nebraska-centric businesses coming to Eppley beginning in 2027 include Runza, Block 16, Pitch Pizzeria and Hollywood Candy.
Taylor also said an increase in Eppley passengers last year lowered the airport’s customer satisfaction score. A record 5.2 million passengers flew through Eppley in 2024.
Taylor said more Eppley passengers led to longer wait times through security, fewer seats at gates, and people needing to park farther away. Those factors, Taylor said, can cause some passengers to stress.
The Airport Authority views Eppley’s record number of passengers as nothing but positive.
“That’s good for Omaha,” McCoy said. “It’s a reflection of our growing, dynamic community. Couple it with this terminal modernization, which is well underway, and that’s going to be another fantastic enhancement for our community.”
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport retained its title as the top-ranked mega airport on the North American continent with 660 points. John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, was the top-ranked large airport with 730 points.
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Dan Crisler
Public safety reporter
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