The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that Toronto and Montreal airports were near-bottom in the race for passenger satisfaction this year, according to a study by J.D. Power. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe says that the study ranks Toronto Pearson Airport second from the bottom in the category for the largest airports that see more than 33 million passengers a year. Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport stood third from the bottom in the next category, with passenger traffic between 10 million and 32.9 million a year. Meanwhile, airports in Western Canada ranked somewhat better in consumer satisfaction, with Calgary and Vancouver airports both at spots 10 and 17. As a whole, the report suggests overall satisfaction among all North American passengers has improved since last year despite obstacles including continuing delayed and cancelled flights, pilot shortages and high passenger demands. Michael Taylor of J.D. Power says it has not been an easy year for North American airports but major capital improvements helped many of them manage the passenger surge to run at full capacity. The report suggests crowding will continue to be a challenge for the foreseeable future.