A Midwestern airport has once again come out on top among North America’s largest hubs, outpacing better-known coastal airports serving New York and Los Angeles.

Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport topped the mega airport category for the third consecutive year, according to new 2026 rankings from J.D. Power of North America’s best airports.

Tampa International Airport and Charleston International Airport also took top honors in their respective size categories, the same survey found. 

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"Minneapolis does a lot of things well," Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog "View From the Wing," told Fox News Digital.

"Connecting passengers have plenty of amenities without having to leave security," Leff said. "Local passengers have an airport relatively close to both downtowns, with light rail access."

Leff said Minneapolis passengers may face long walks between gates, but he said it still feels manageable.

The airport's score was 684 on J.D. Power's 1,000-point scale. 

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport ranked second among mega airports with 663 points, followed by Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with 642.

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Tampa ranked first among large airports with a score of 715, followed by Portland International Airport with 708 and Dallas Love Field with 698.

Charleston led the medium-airport category with 712 points, ahead of Ontario International Airport with 705 and Indianapolis International Airport with 695.

"Tampa is very well organized, even though you do have to transit between your concourses," Leff said.

Charleston is not overbuilt, he said, so it's easy to get through the airport.

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"What is an airport for? An airport is a place that you go to get to, through and out of quickly. You're flying, you're trying to go somewhere very efficiently. The best airports are the ones that help you do exactly that," Leff said.

Overall passenger satisfaction increased across all three airport categories.

J.D. Power, headquartered in Troy, Michigan, said all the highest-ranked airports have recently completed, or are close to completing, multiyear capital improvement projects.

"On the whole, those efforts are finally starting to pay off in the form of higher overall passenger satisfaction scores," Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power, said in a statement.

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Leff cautioned travelers, however, not to get too swayed by upscale renovations. 

"New York LaGuardia's Central Terminal is a beautiful facility … but it is still … an airport that is relatively difficult to get through," Leff noted.

New York and Los Angeles missed the mark, and Leff was not surprised.

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Leff believes San Francisco International Airport and National Airport in Washington, D.C. are among the country’s best because they are close to their cities and easy to navigate.

The study identified clear signage and easy navigation as major drivers of satisfaction.

Food, beverage and retail programs improved, rising 8 points year over year.

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The North America Airport Satisfaction Study is in its 21st year and measures passenger experiences across seven areas: ease of travel through the airport, trust in the airport, terminal facilities, airport staff, the departure or trip-to-airport experience, food, beverage and retail, and the arrival or trip-from-airport experience, according to the company. 

J.D. Power said it defines mega airports as those with at least 33 million passengers per year, large airports as those with 10 million to 32.9 million passengers and medium airports as those with 4.5 million to 9.9 million passengers.

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The 2026 study is based on 24,710 completed surveys from U.S. and Canadian residents who traveled through at least one U.S. or Canadian airport.

Three people were killed when two helicopters collided midair near an Oregon airport Thursday afternoon, crashing in a field and prompting authorities to close a nearby highway.

A Robinson R22 helicopter and an Airbus H125 helicopter collided near McMinnville Municipal Airport around 2:15 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told Fox News Digital that the collision occurred at approximately 2:10 p.m. local time. 

The agency identified the Airbus helicopter as an AS350B2 operating on a maintenance flight and the Robinson R22 Beta as conducting an instructional flight. 

The Yamhill County Sheriff's Office confirmed Thursday that all three people aboard both helicopters died in the crash.

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The two victims aboard the Robinson R22 helicopter were identified as 22-year-old flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, of Texas, and 31-year-old student pilot Christopher James Joughin, of the United Kingdom, according to the sheriff's office. 

Joughin's identity was confirmed Friday after authorities initially withheld his name pending notification of next of kin.

The sole occupant of the Airbus helicopter was identified as Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon.

The collision occurred in a field off Oregon Route 233, about one mile west of Dayton, according to Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson Mindy McCartt.

McCartt told Fox News Digital that the highway and some nearby county roads were closed at the request of emergency responders. She said there was no estimated reopening time.

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McMinnville Airport Manager John Paskell told Fox News Digital that the collision occurred off airport property and did not disrupt airport operations. The airport remained open without closures or restrictions.

Paskell said he understood that both helicopters were based at the airport but could not confirm what activities they were conducting or how the collision occurred.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) responded to the scene and are leading the ongoing investigation into the collision, according to the sheriff's office.

The NTSB said Friday that two investigators were traveling to the crash site. Once the wreckage is documented, it will be recovered and moved to a secure facility for further examination.

Investigators will examine the pilots, aircraft and operating conditions, including flight tracking data, air traffic control communications, maintenance records, weather conditions and the pilots' flight experience.

They will also review witness statements, electronic devices and any available surveillance video, including doorbell camera footage.

The agency is asking anyone with information relevant to the collision to contact investigators at witness@ntsb.gov.

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The cause of the collision has not been determined.

The NTSB expects to release a preliminary report within 30 days containing factual information gathered during the initial investigation. 

A final report identifying the probable cause and any contributing factors is expected within 12 to 24 months.