Airports: The MVP of Out-of-Home Advertising
Airports are no longer just transit zones, they're high-traffic, high-dwell-time, high-impact advertising goldmines. I’m talking high traffic, long dwell time, and a super engaged, screen-happy audience that can’t skip, scroll, or block your ad. With global travel booming and audiences quite literally going nowhere for hours, airport OOH is one to watch. Here’s why it should be on your next campaign’s boarding pass.
First Stop: Travel Is Taking Off (Literally)
In case you missed it, international travel is booming again. January 2025 saw 4.37 million international passengers in Australian airports alone, up 5.3% on the last peak in Jan 2020. That’s right, we’re not just “back to normal,” we’re outpacing it.
Over the 12 months to Jan 2025, Australia hit 41.9 million international flyers. That’s a 14.5% jump year on year. Sure, we’re still a smidge under 2020’s full-year stats, but the trajectory is sky high.
With December 2024 marking the strongest international travel peak in five years, the message is clear: your audience is on the move, and spending time in airports.
Australia
- 47% of Australians are now prioritising travel over other luxuries.
- 32% YoY growth in trips means we’re beyond pre-COVID levels, and still climbing.
- Aussies are arriving 1–2 hours early for domestic flights, and even earlier for international.
United Kingdom
- 65% of UK flyers have maintained or increased their flying habits compared to 2019.
- UK travellers rate airport ads higher than online or social for status, creativity, and attention.
- 45% searched, 50% visited a store, and 39% bought something after seeing airport ads.
United States
- U.S. air travel hit record highs in 2023 with over 16 million passengers during Thanksgiving week alone (TSA).
- Airports like ATL, LAX and JFK are seeing year-on-year increases in both domestic and international travel.
- 92% of U.S. adults flying for leisure say they notice airport ads, and 70% of business flyers say those ads influence their purchasing decisions (JCDecaux / Nielsen).
Across the board, travel isn’t just back, it’s booming. That means more eyeballs, more wait time, and more chances for brands to make a memorable impact.
Dwell Time = Dream Time
Let’s talk dwell time. Because if you’re after a captive audience, airports are the gold standard.
- 80% of domestic travellers have at least an hour to kill.
- 30% are there for two hours or more.
- International travellers? You’re looking at 2–3 hours of quality brand time.
Sydney’s Terminal 1 clocks an average 133-minute dwell time. That’s a captive audience scrolling, snacking, and staring directly at your ad.
From Check-In to Baggage Claim: Your Ad’s on Display
There are thousands of DOOH screens across airports globally. From lounges and walkways to gates and baggage carousels, these screens are placed where people are forced to look (literally). Because of the nature of air travel (hello, high security and long waits), airport ads are seen as elevated, premium, trustworthy.
The data backs it up:
- 75% of frequent flyers associate airport ads with high-quality brands.
- 45% of global passengers search for more info after seeing an airport ad.
- 36% go on to make a purchase.
- In the U.S. and UK, airport ads outperform social and digital channels on trust, recall, and perceived quality.
Basically, prestige + performance = a rare combo, and airport OOH nails both.
No skipping. No scrolling. No ad blockers.
Impact You Can Track (Even Without Cookies)
“As the holiday season approaches, we can expect record numbers of travelers to continue packing into the country’s airports, as they have all year. Brands can leverage Lamar’s dynamic and vast digital airport advertising network, consisting of more than 400+ digital screens in 25 airports across the country, to reach, engage, and influence captive consumers from the arrival halls to departure gates to the baggage claim and everywhere in between.”
- Ian Dallimore, VP of Digital Growth & GM of Programmatic, Lamar Advertising Company
Airport OOH doesn’t just look good, it works. So who’s it great for?
Short answer: a lot of people. But if you want specifics, here’s where airport screens really shine:
- Travel & Tourism: Catch people in the right mindset for booking their next stay, experience, or escape.
- CPG Brands: Got something you’d grab in an airport? Think skincare, meds, water bottles, people are buying.
- Food & Bev: Tempt them with a cheeky pre-flight drink, in-terminal bites, or destination dining recs.
- Retail & Luxury: From essentials like sunglasses and headphones to big-ticket items like fragrance and luggage, airport shoppers are open to influence.
- B2B & SaaS: Business travellers are flying often, and they’re in decision-making mode. This is your shot to speak directly to them.
Plus, thanks to better measurement tools and smarter targeting, airport campaigns can now be more agile and accountable than ever.
Ready for Takeoff?
With surging travel numbers, increased solo and international flyers, and built-in dwell time that most media channels would kill for, airport advertising is changing the game. Your brand should absolutely be boarding.
