Salt Lake City airport ranked in the top 10 in the U.S.
Bryan Barba ・ 2025-06-27 ・ www.deseret.com
KEY POINTS
- Salt Lake City International Airport ranked top 10 airport for its accessibility, art and on-site shops.
- Salt Lake City airport's major upgrades include new gates, central terminal, shops and a sensory room.
- A new direct flight from Salt Lake City to Asia is a testament of the airport's global itinerary.
Over a decade ago, the Salt Lake City International Airport started the construction of its new terminal complex — a total revamp with spacious windows, lots of natural light, mountain views and art installations.
It’s paying off.
A new Washington Post article found the Salt Lake City airport among the top 10 in the nation for its accessibility through public transit, art depicting local surroundings and on-site shops.
The study encompassed more than 450 airports operating with over 1,000 departures last year and aimed to determine which airports offer distinctive atmospheres that might make travelers “actually want to stay awhile.“
‘The New SLC’
For the past five years, the airport has been updating facilities with five-decade-old designs to keep up with the growing demand as Salt Lake City becomes a hub airport.
With over 28.3 million travelers coming and going, 2024 marked the busiest year on record for the Salt Lake airport since the new facility opened in 2020. That is a million more passengers than the previous year.
As reported by KSL, the airport’s full layout, set to be completed by the end of 2026, will be able to handle 34 million passengers.
The rebuild consisted of four phases. Phases 1, 2 and 3 have already been completed.
Some of the additions include the new parking garage, a central terminal, the completion of concourses A and B (five new gates will open in October), a “ river tunnel ” connecting the two concourses as well as many new restaurants and shops.
Phase 4, the final phase, will add 16 gates to Concourse B, along with more concessions.
Improving the traveler experience
All these changes have brought the Salt Lake airport to the forefront of the air travel experience. It improved the user experience while keeping it cost-effective for airline operations, per the airport’s website.
Gov. Spencer Cox echoed the traits that are making the Beehive State’s airport stand out. “With unbeatable views, thoughtful design, and a focus on making travel easier for families, SLC is doing right,” Cox wrote in a post on X.
Other traits of the Salt Lake City airport that were highlighted in the article include restrooms located every 150 feet, outlets in the seats at the gates, and the “Greeting Room” with a fireplace and comfy furniture for families awaiting to welcome loved ones.
In March, the airport demonstrated changes are made with users in mind. In collaboration with KultureCity, the airport opened a sensory room for those passengers who may need a quiet environment.
The airport inaugurated its first direct flight to Asia earlier this month, per Axios. Delta Air Lines is offering nonstop daily service to South Korea’s Incheon International Airport near Seoul.
Other rock star airports in the West
Neighboring states have airports with their own quirks that might be worth a layover.
New Mexico’s Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ), for example, also made the top 10. The adobe-style architecture is “a study in the Southwestern aesthetic,” the article said. It features Native American art and a food court with local delicacies.
Many airport rankings focus on scale, but The Washington Post found out people prefer smaller airports and developed an algorithm to weigh in on other factors that make “a beloved airport.”
Not surprisingly, then, a small airport north of Seattle made the list — The Paine Field International Airport (PAE). This small hub, where it can take “minutes from the curb to gate,” has connections to Southern California, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver and Hawaii.
Another small airport with unique traits is Long Beach Airport (LGB), No. 2 on the list. What it lacks in capacity — only 11 gates and three airlines — it makes up in ambience, with a courtyard that “brings the beach to the airfield.”
The No. 1 spot on the list is for an airport that doesn’t feel like an airport — Portland International Airport (PDX) is an “airport that has fun and wants you to do the same.”
Oak floors, timber roofs, live music, iconic carpets, speakeasies, therapy llamas and a 22-seat microcinema theater make this space a “relaxing” place that’s hard to top.