So many signs, so little time...

Airports can be stressful places. From the moment you walk in, you’re juggling check-in, security, finding your gate, and maybe squeezing in a coffee before boarding. There’s a lot to take in — and the clock is always ticking.

For airport operators, helping people move through this process smoothly isn’t just about being nice — it’s about keeping things safe, avoiding delays, and making sure travelers leave with a good impression. That’s why more and more airports are turning to eye tracking to figure out exactly what’s working (and what’s not) when it comes to signs, directions, and the overall passenger journey. 

Why wayfinding matters so much 

Airports are busy, high-pressure environments. If signs aren’t clear or the layout is confusing, it can lead to missed flights, bottlenecks, and stressed-out travelers. 

Traditional research — like surveys or watching how people move — can help, but it doesn’t show exactly how passengers take in visual information. Eye tracking does. By seeing where people actually look in real time, you can spot which signs they notice, which ones they ignore, and exactly where confusion sets in. 

How eye tracking helps 

Eye tracking shows you the hidden decision-making going on as passengers move through a terminal. With lightweight wearable devices like Tobii Pro Glasses 3, you can literally follow someone’s visual journey — seeing when they hesitate, when they get overloaded with too much information, and which signs actually help them get where they need to go. 

This data is gold for designing spaces that guide people naturally, without them even realizing it.

Less stress. Fewer wrong turns. Better flow. 

Case in point: Heathrow Terminal 5 

Heathrow Airport teamed up with Tobii Insight to see how passengers were navigating Terminal 5. Over 100 travelers wore Tobii Pro Glasses 3 while going through arrivals, departures, and connections. 

The results? The team uncovered specific points where people got stuck — signs that weren’t noticed, decision points with too many choices, and areas that simply caused confusion. Heathrow is now using these insights to move signs, simplify layouts, and keep people flowing through the terminal more easily. 
 

Not just for big airports 

Eye tracking isn’t only for major hubs. Regional airports can benefit too, as can airlines themselves. Whether it’s refining terminal design, testing digital check-in, improving boarding processes, or making in-flight entertainment easier to navigate, knowing exactly what catches the eye (and what doesn’t) can make every step of the journey smoother. 

Tools that make it possible 

Tobii offers several solutions for this kind of research: 

• Tobii Pro Glasses 3 for real-world gaze tracking. 

• Tobii Pro Lab for analyzing attention data in depth. 

• Sticky by Tobii for running scalable online studies of digital experiences. 

Together, they give airports and airlines the evidence they need to make smart design changes that actually work for passengers. 

The bottom line 

Eye tracking is changing how airports think about wayfinding. By focusing on what travelers actually see (and don’t see), airports can design spaces that feel more intuitive, less stressful, and — quite simply — easier to navigate. 

With Tobii’s technology, operators aren’t just hearing what passengers say. They’re seeing the journey through their eyes. And that makes all the difference.