From Road Signage to Airport Design: A Safety-Centered Model for Visual Coherence in Airports

Considering the evolution of population mobility and the expansion of air travel, this study proposes a novel conceptual bridge between airport and road infrastructures. While the aviation industry prioritizes fleet modernization and capacity growth, passenger-facing facilities often lag behind. Drawing on the familiarity of road symbolism, the paper introduces a signage model inspired by road-traffic conventions and adapted for terminals, aprons, and pedestrian zones. The framework enhances operational clarity, reduces visual ambiguity in transitional environments, and supports the prevention of ground-level incidents.The analysis suggests that road imaging— encompassing mapping, multispectral analysis, and semantic segmentation—can evolve into a complementary design standard for airports, with implications for safety, visual ergonomics, and digital navigation. The paper advocates for the development of an official visual guide grounded in adapted road-signage principles, addressing a challenge that is increasingly perceptual rather than technical.