Washington Dulles International Airport remained the busiest airport in the region last year, but a survey of passengers ranked it least popular among local airports.
The report, commissioned by the airports and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, surveyed 19,000 passengers waiting for planes last year. Modeled after seven similar surveys conducted since 1981, the report is scheduled to be presented Friday.
Dulles was the least popular airport among all travelers surveyed, whether they were local or came to the airports from elsewhere. The survey found 38 percent preferred Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, 29 percent liked Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall International Airport and Dulles won just 18 percent of customers’ preference.
Despite passengers’ apparent dislike for Dulles, Federal Aviation Administration data show that more than 11.8 million passengers boarded aircraft there last year, at least a million more than either National or BWI. The airport has more than twice the number of carriers of the others, which helps customers who seek options.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which manages both Dulles and National airports, declined to discuss the report yesterday. “The findings speak for themselves,” said spokesman Rob Yingling.
Another group also found that Dulles lags its local peers in one oft-overlooked aspect: healthiness.
Health magazine this week named BWI and National to its top 10 Healthiest Airports list.
BWI came in second behind Arizona’s Phoenix Sky Harbor International for its soft music and lighting at security checkpoints. Its 12.5-mile walking and biking path also earned kudos.
Reagan National came in sixth place on the Health list for its “museum quality artwork” and “fume-free” bike trail.
Dulles, meanwhile, didn’t make the list.
Still, fliers in the local survey ranked proximity of airports and airfare costs as a higher priority than airport services. Thus, 69 percent said they chose National Airport — which is closest to downtown D.C. and has a Metrorail stop — for its proximity, but only 7 percent said they chose the pricier airport for having the lowest airfares.
