The United States lags far behind peer countries in airport privatization. Only one U.S. passenger hub has been successfully privatized to date—Luis Muñoz Marín International in San Juan, Puerto Rico, privatized in 2013. The annual Skytrax survey of passengers’ airport preferences shows that of the top 25 global airports, 10 are privatized. George Bush Intercontinental, a public commercial service airport owned by the city of Houston, is the only U.S. airport to break into the top 25 rankings (at 25th). But privatization could help bring needed improvements to U.S. airports while containing costs and shifting fiscal risk away from taxpayers.
