OKC Airport not in Washington Post's top 50 airports. Here's why they missed the mark
Oklahoma City’s airport is undergoing large upgrades, including the addition of nonstop flights to Cancun and some capital projects, yet as they currently stand, the airport fell short of the top 50 according to a Washington Post survey.
The OKC Will Rogers International Airport was not mentioned in the Washington Post’s top 50 airports in America, which crowned Portland’s International Airport as the best. Their methodology included Yelp ratings and TSA complaints. Instead of using Yelp reviews, OKC uses the ASQ survey platform to find user satisfaction ratings.
When it came to Portland, the Post said fliers enjoyed the 22-seat microcinema that showcases short works by Pacific Northwest artists, as the airport's design features a stunning landscape.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R14ekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R24ekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeThe top 20 airports are in only five of the nation’s 20 most populous cities, with Los Angeles and Washington, DC mentioned at least twice. Here’s why Oklahoma City likely was left off that list.
OKC Will Rogers not among the top 50 airports, but somewhere shorter
The Oklahoma City Will Rogers International Airport is seeing several infrastructure changes, including updating passenger boarding bridges, construction of a three-bay hangar and a parking garage.
But the changes that are soon to come weren’t accounted for in the Washington Post ranking.
According to The Post’s analysis, the OKC airport is placed somewhere between the 51st and 150th best airports. This rank is attributed to a 3.7 Yelp rating, an 80% on-time score and 1,000 TSA complaints.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R1aekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2aekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeYelp reviews credit the airport's ease of navigation to its size and food selection, although these same factors were considered drawbacks at times by some reviewers.
“There was a Starbucks, Newsstand, a Freddy's, Hatch, Tropical Smoothie, and Elemental Coffee. The major fast food restaurants are notably absent in this airport, and I do not know why,” one review cites.
While OKC missed the mark, a few of the nonstop trips can give travelers a chance to see some of the nation’s best-rated, like Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (3), Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (4), Salt Lake City International Airport (9) and Tampa International Airport (11).
What’s next for OKC Airport?
As mentioned, the airport has several developments underway, some of which are already in progress.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R1gekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2gekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeThe airport is currently working on replacing the passenger boarding bridges with more updated structures. Of the bridges, 17 are more than 25 years old. A $9 million federal grant will help fund the project.
Another project includes the construction of a three-bay, 80,000-square-foot hangar, a collaboration between the state and airport tenant AAR Corp., which will cost $39 million. The project is “about two-thirds" of the way finished and should be in use in January 2026, according to airport officials.
More: Revenue at OKC airports is expected to decrease slightly, but projects are only going up
Parking at the airport is set to receive an upgrade with the construction of a new multi-story parking garage, designed to help alleviate parking issues during peak hours. Since the post-pandemic travel restart, the airport has seen the garage exceeding 85% of its capacity for half of each year.
The Washington Post ranked these airports as the top 10 in the United States
Portland International Airport (PDX)
Long Beach Airport (LGB)
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)
Seattle Paine Field International Airport (PAE)
Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport (PVD)
Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ)
Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
Detroit Metro Airport (DTW)
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R1oekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2oekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeTo see the full ranking, including honorable mentions, visit washingtonpost.com/travel.
This story has been updated to add clarity.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Washington Post top 50 airports does not include Will Rogers OKC. Why?
