Overall passenger satisfaction with North American airports has reached an all-time high.

Well, except for Newark Liberty International Airport.

Newark, the 15th-busiest airport in the United States, came in dead last among "mega airports" in J.D. Power's annual airport rankings, finishing 60 points below average and more than 40 points below John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.

Consumers ranked Orlando International Airport as the best "mega" airport in the country, followed closely by airports in Detroit, Las Vegas and Phoenix.

HAPPENING NOW: Volunteer nurses fly to Puerto Rica to help after Hurricane Maria

BEHIND THE SCENES: Tailing the TSA's bomb-sniffing dogs

“The trifecta of a steadily improving economy, record passenger volume and billion-dollar renovation projects unfolding in airports across the country has created a challenging environment for customer satisfaction,” said Michael Taylor, travel practice lead at J.D. Power. “The fact that many airports are overcoming those challenges is incredibly instructive for the industry as it remodels and improves airport infrastructure.”

The 12th annual J.D. Power airport rankings grade each hub on a 1,000-point scale, based on survey results from nearly 35,00 North American travelers who visited at least one domestic airport during the last three months.

The average score of 749 is a new all-time high.

The bump in satisfaction is likely due to increased TSA staffing, self-service bag-check kiosks and higher enrollment in pre-check boarding programs, which you can learn more about in a video at the top of the page.

Many high-ranking airports have also increased retail and dining options at their terminals.

RELATED: Let's eat at Newark Liberty Airport

The biggest obstacles to airport satisfaction are major construction projects, which can disrupt travelers' airport experience. Construction projects are ongoing at Newark, LaGuardia, Los Angeles and Chicago O'Hare airports — all of which were ranked below average.

MORE: Uber cuts Newark Airport fares

Mike Davis: 732-643-4223; mdavis@gannettnj.com