If you are boarding a plane to get to your spring break or summer destination, you may want to book a flight through this California airport.
John Wayne Airport, located in Orange County, was considered to be the “second-best’ airport in the U.S. due to its short wait times, with an average of six minutes, and high customer satisfaction rate.
Experts at Travel Lens, an online travel publication, released a February report that looked at the 50 busiest airports in the U.S. and ranked them based on several factors, which include:
- Passenger satisfaction
- Wait time
- Google review scores
- CO2 emissions
Researchers used data from the Federal Aviation Administration, J.D. Power, AWT, Google Maps and Airport Tracker to rank the airports.
The Top 10 best airports in the U.S.
- Southwest Florida International
- John Wayne Airport
- Portland International
- Tampa International
- Dallas Love Field
- Sacramento International
- Indianapolis International
- Harry Reid International
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall
- Washington Dulles International
Sacramento International, another airport in the Golden State, was also included on the list.
In addition to being the “second-best” airport in the U.S., JWA, which is located near the Disneyland Resort, has also earned the reputation of being one of the “scariest,” according to Airfarwatchdog.com,
In 2020, the website considered JWA a “scary” airport mainly due to its unusual takeoff procedures, which the travel website compared to “a ballistic missile and a space shuttle liftoff.”
SF Gate reported that the airport’s unusual takeoff procedure is due to its short runway and steep take-off pitch.
For comparison, John Wayne’s runway is 5,700 feet long and Los Angeles International Airport’s has multiple runways which are all longer than 8,000 feet.
Orange County officials put these regulations in place to ease the concerns of residents who live in the nearby cities, SF Gate reported.