Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) officials say they are generally pleased with results of 2025 customer-satisfaction data at its facilities.
“Customers like our airports,” Gene Sutch, MWAA’s director of revenue strategy and analysis, said last Wednesday (Jan. 21) in a briefing to the authority’s business administration committee.
Based on more than 60,000 surveys completed by travelers throughout the year, Dulles International Airport scored an overall rating of 3.7 on a 1-to-5 scale — slightly below the 3.8 rating given to Reagan National Airport. Both sit in what MWAA officials termed the “very good” category, with room for improvement.
“There’s always work to do,” Sutch acknowledged.
Among individual components of the surveys, Dulles generally trailed National, but typically not by much:
- Shopping: National recorded a score of 3.8, Dulles of 3.7
- Rideshare drop-offs and pickups: National scored 4.3, Dulles 4.2
- WiFi connectivity: National recorded a score of 3.7, Dulles 3.6
- Signage enhancement: Travelers gave National a score of 4.0, Dulles 3.8
- Restroom improvements (Reagan National): Travelers gave them a rating of 3.8
- Parking enhancements: The airports scored a collective 3.9 out of 5
On parking, Dulles slightly outperformed National, with 89% of Dulles respondents ranking it “excellent,” “very good” or “good.” At National, 88% of respondents scored it at those levels.
New MWAA board chair Mark Unchapher noted that one of the “areas of challenge” at the airports is baggage delivery to incoming passengers. He acknowledged the authority can’t control all the facets of that service.
“We have our role, the airlines have a significant role, too,” Uncapher said.
Sutch said that when survey data points to a decline in baggage-handling satisfaction, MWAA staff try to isolate the issue and work with specific airlines on it.
The annual survey, conducted throughout the year, is just one way the authority tracks how it is viewed by the traveling public.
During the year, nearly 168,000 responses came through the “Feedback Now” QR-code-based response line, as well as several thousand from a response program targeting problems in restroom facilities.
A similar effort is being launched to get immediate feedback on concession issues at the airports.
“Customers need to know we care about their experience,” Sutch said.
Last year, the Trump administration decried the state of Dulles, requesting proposals from developers for upgrades to the nearly 65-year-old airport, even as construction on a new concourse nears completion.
The submitted concepts, released earlier this week, range from brand-new terminals to “wellness” pods and alternative transportation options to replace the airport’s mobile lounges, which the administration singled out as relics of the past that need to be eliminated to improve safety and ambiance.
The federal government owns both Dulles and National, but since 1987, the regional airports authority has operated both facilities under long-term leases. MWAA already plans in place for extensive improvements at both airports.
Mixed verdict when compared to peer group
When it comes to travelers’ experiences at Dulles and National versus their peer airports, the result depends on how you parse the data.
In the J.D. Power 2025 North American Airports Satisfaction Survey, Dulles ranked 23rd out of 27 and National 20th among “large” airports — the middle size level among three categories.
The 27 airports in that cohort had an average satisfaction score of 656, with both Dulles (612) and National (623) falling short of it.
In the large-airport category, John Wayne Airport (Orange County, California) ranked highest for a second consecutive year, with a score of 730. Tampa International Airport (709) ranked second and Dallas Love Field (705) ranked third.
Philadelphia International Airport (570) ranked last.
In his briefing of MWAA members, which did not touch on J.D. Power’s overall rankings, Sutch said it was more appropriate to compare the two local airports with those that serve as hubs or major transfer points for airlines.
Looking at it that way, Sutch said Reagan National was the highest scoring American Airlines hub in the J.D. Power survey, while Dulles was second among United Airlines’ hubs, running slightly behind San Francisco International Airport.
The complexities of running a hub airport are more intense than running a facility where most traffic is point-to-point, he said.
Dulles is a major hub for United Airlines; Reagan National has a large American Airlines presence, with some connecting traffic.
MWAA revenues exceeding budget
With 11 of 12 months’ worth of data from 2025 in, MWAA airport operations are running ahead of budgeted expectations.
“A good year to date” is how Andrew Rountree, senior vice president for finance and chief financial officer, parsed the data at the Jan. 21 meeting of MWAA’s finance committee.
For the first 11 months of the year, operating revenue at the two airports stood at $796.5 million, up 3.4% from what had been budgeted.
Revenue for operations directly related to airlines totaled $252.9 million, up 2.8%, while ancillary revenue — from parking, concessions, rental-car charges, etc. — stood at $543.6 million, 3.7% above budget expectations.
Airport-operations expenses totaled $479.5 million for the 11-month period, about 7% lower than budgeted.
MWAA budgets based on the calendar year. Full-year results will be reported after they are audited in March.
“We don’t expect anything that’s going to be materially different” from the 11-month data, Rountree said.
