JIA ranks third best airport in service quality for North America

Jacksonville International Airport was ranked the third best airport in North America by the Airports Council International for their Airport Service Quality awards.

The award was based on surveys of passengers passing through the airport

The top airports in North America were Indianapolis, Tampa, Jacksonville, Sacramento and Ottawa.

Other categories include best airport less than 2 million passengers by region, best airport by size and most improved.

To determine winners, the Airports Council International surveyed passengers at the gate on their experience at 300 airports throughout the world, according to a statement. The awards represent passenger views on 34 service indicators.

"Airports are more than simply points of departure and arrival," said Angela Gittens, director general of the council, in a statement. "They are complex businesses in their own right. As such, a focus on serving the passenger has become increasingly important to ensuring success. In the fast-changing landscape of worldwide aviation, [Airport Service Quality] is the key to understanding how to increase passenger satisfaction and improve business performance. At the end of the day, good business acumen comes down to a simple equation: better service, improved traffic and a healthier bottom line."

In 2012 and 2013, Jacksonville was ranked fifth.