The Phoenix airport was just named one of the nation's best.
AirHelp, a claims management company focused on airline passenger rights, released its annual global airport ranking this week. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport ranked the No. 9 airport in the U.S. It was No. 7 in 2024 and returns to the top 10 after placing at No. 12 in 2025.
However, its overall score dipped slightly from last year, while it only ranked as the No. 73 airport in AirHelp's global rankings. It was No. 21 in the world in 2024 and No. 55 in 2025.
AirHelp's ranking was based on a survey of 279 airports around the world. Portland International Airport in Portland, Oregon was the No. 1 U.S. airport, while the top airport in the world was Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, Panama.
How were the best airports selected?
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AirHelp based its methodology on airport operations from May 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026, ranking the top airports based on several factors:
On-time performance: Any flight that arrived within 15 minutes of its published arrival time is considered on time. On-time flights made up 60% of an airport's score.
Service: AirHelp surveyed air travelers about airport staff, wait times, accessibility and cleanliness, asking passengers to rank each factor on a scale of "very good" to "very bad." Service represented 20% of an airport's score.
Facilities and comfort: AirHelp also asked passengers for feedback on airport facilities, such as restaurants and shops, comprising the last 20% of the rating.
Why the Phoenix airport is one of the best in the U.S.
Sky Harbor Airport's rating in the survey was 7.78 out of a possible 10, slightly below its overall score of 7.88 in 2025.
Sky Harbor's showing in the top 10 was largely the result of service improvements. Its score in service increased to 8.2; it was 7.7 in 2025.
But airlines' on-time performance of 7.8 and the airport's facilities and comfort score of 7.3 dropped from last year. Sky Harbor's on-time score in 2025 was 8.1; its facilities and comfort score was 7.5.
"The overall feedback was that the airport was large and well-maintained, but some travelers mentioned it had very long wait lines and (was) very busy," AirHelp spokesperson Nicole Velez said.
Sky Harbor had an on-time record of 77% for departures and 79% for arrivals from April 2025 to March 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These percentages are down slightly from a year prior, but still rank among the nation's best.
The BLS data also showed Sky Harbor's rate of canceled flights has been below 1% each year since 2023.
Why U.S. airports scored low in global rankings
Despite Sky Harbor's top 10 rank among U.S. airports, it was only No. 73 globally.
But a lower global ranking was common for other U.S. airports in the survey because of the effects of the 43-day government shutdown in October and November 2025, Velez said.
During the shutdown, air traffic controller shortages at Sky Harbor and other airports were so severe that the Federal Aviation Administration required airports to cut flights by up to 10%.
That shut down, plus a 76-day Homeland Security shutdown from February to April, inspired calls to privatize airport security. This surge in support for privatization, including from President Donald Trump, is partly because private contractors with oversight from the Transportation Security Administration would get paid during government shutdowns.
