Omaha’s $950 million terminal overhaul has left Eppley Airfield’s North and South Terminals disconnected since February 2025. Travelers must walk outdoors or pass through a parking garage to get between them. Against that backdrop, Eppley’s passenger satisfaction score rose 29 points this year, though it remained below the medium-airport average.
Eppley scored 647 points in J.D. Power’s annual passenger satisfaction survey, 29 points higher than the previous year but below the 672-point average for medium-sized airports nationally, according to the Omaha World-Herald. The newspaper reported that J.D. Power surveys passengers through an online questionnaire with a selection from up to 180 questions, with respondents spending an average of 18 minutes on it. Mike Taylor, the firm’s senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer service, called Eppley’s score increase notable given the circumstances on the ground.
What J.D. Power’s Study Measures
J.D. Power describes its North America Airport Satisfaction Study as an assessment of recent passenger experiences throughout the airport journey, from curbside arrival to gate departure and baggage claim. The study evaluates eight dimensions of the passenger experience, according to J.D. Power.
Construction Splits the Terminal Down the Middle
With indoor access between the terminal’s north and south ends eliminated, passengers must cross outdoor street crosswalks or cut through a parking garage to reach the other side, according to the World-Herald and reporting from Omaha Party Bus Company. The Omaha Airport Authority expects the separation to remain until the central pavilion opens in 2027. Steve McCoy, the authority’s chief strategy and technology officer, told the World-Herald that new gates and seating areas were set to open the following month, with the central pavilion and a new terminal concourse following early next year. He described the finished project as creating a completely new airport experience.
The airport has continued to draw heavy passenger traffic during construction. Eppley set monthly passenger records in June and July 2026; June alone brought 530,157 travelers, surpassing the previous record of 524,331 set in June 2025. The NCAA Men’s College World Series contributed to the June total, NewsRadio 1040 WHO reported. J.D. Power’s Taylor told Forbes that heavy passenger volume combined with active construction is the single biggest driver of lower satisfaction scores at North American airports. The publication’s report cited the firm’s 2026 study of more than 24,700 travelers across major airports.
Halfway Through a Near-Total Rebuild
As of March 2026, the Build OMA project had reached the halfway point of its terminal modernization, with photo documentation at the time showing construction underway on skywalks, escalators, stairs, restrooms and food vendor areas, per the World-Herald. When finished, the $950 million program will expand the terminal's footprint by 72%, growing it from 375,000 square feet to roughly 646,000 square feet while adding two gates, bringing the total to 22, according to Build OMA. It represents the airport's most comprehensive overhaul in nearly 40 years.
The modernization also includes Eppley's first two international-capable gates and a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrivals hall, paving the way for non-stop international flights, Build OMA says. Local leaders have pointed to future direct routes to international leisure destinations, such as Mexico, as a possible payoff. Separately, the airport built a $65 million glass canopy and terminal drive project to expand curbside drop-off and pickup capacity and shield passengers from the weather, according to Airways Magazine.
New Dining, a First Lounge, and Lingering Staffing Strain
Once complete, the terminal will house 19 new dining and retail venues run by Hudson Group and Plum Market, including nine local Omaha brands such as Runza, Pitch Pizzeria, Block 16, Fernando's and Scooter's Coffee alongside national chains, per Avolta. The airport is also adding its first-ever lounge, an Escape Lounge operated by CAVU on the terminal's third level, offering day-pass and credit-card access to any passenger regardless of airline or ticket class, Build OMA reports. As of March 2026, the lounge was still under construction.
The buildout hasn't been without growing pains for vendors, either. During the early renovation phases in late 2024 and early 2025, concessionaire Plum Market faced severe staffing shortages despite raising cashier starting wages to $15 an hour and adding early-morning shift bonuses, according to the Flatwater Free Press. Those delays fed customer complaints about limited grab-and-go options during the transition.
Where Eppley Stands Against Its Peers
Other airports offer context for how satisfaction rankings can look during and after major construction, though they are not direct predictions for Eppley. New York City’s LaGuardia ranked fourth among mega airports despite its history of major rebuilding, while Kansas City International, which opened a new terminal in 2023, also ranked fourth among large airports after construction, according to the World-Herald. Eppley’s standing may change after the Build OMA project is completed in 2027.
For now, Eppley remains Nebraska's dominant commercial airport, handling more arrivals and departures than every other airport in the state combined while serving more than 5.2 million total annual passengers in both 2024 and 2025, according to Wikipedia. That steady demand, paired with a terminal still mid-transformation, is exactly the mix J.D. Power's Taylor pointed to when explaining why Eppley's score moved the way it did even as the airport grew busier than ever.
