The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport has been voted best airport of its size in the U.S. four years in a row by travelers in recent customer satisfaction surveys.
In contrast, Hawaiʻi has been at the bottom of the separate J.D. Power rankings, though it recently moved up.
On a recent trip to the Big Easy, we talked to visitors and residents about travelers’ first impressions and what they think makes the NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) airport stand out.
Back on the ground here in Honolulu, we asked state Transportation Director Ed Sniffen about Hawaiʻi's standings in the ranking and how we were doing with the needed improvements to our airport. Hawaiʻi is spending nearly $2 billion to overhaul our facilities.
As part of the modernization plan, millions have been spent to upgrade our runways and taxiways, which are critical to operations. The Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu has a new car rental facility, and there have been upgrades to bathrooms and other areas of the terminals.
The facility had been previously ranked second from the bottom nationally. Maui has also ranked low as a middle-sized airport. But Sniffen said the state is chipping away at the upgrades.
The difference between New Orleans and Honolulu is that Louisiana was able to build a new facility right next to the old terminal. In Hawaiʻi, it's not so easy to renovate what's already there.
This story aired on The Conversation on July 10, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
