Airports face unique considerations when planning and designing restroom facilities. These considerations include continuous operation and availability, changing passenger demographics (e.g., increased percentage of female travelers, more passengers with disabilities, an aging population, and more international patrons), and greater space requirements to accommodate luggage and operational/maintenance needs. Restroom design is a key element to overall terminal function, yet many practitioners indicate there is little airport-specific guidance, which often results in restroom facilities not meeting customer expectations. This is confirmed by the findings of many airport surveys in which passengers frequently rank a poor restroom experience as a top customer service issue. Research is needed to develop guidance for planning and designing airport terminal restroom facilities that can be tailored to airports with various activity levels and customer profiles.

The objective of this research is to develop a guidebook to help determine the location, number, size, and configuration of airport terminal restroom facilities to meet various customer (e.g., passenger, employee, and family) needs. Enough detail should be provided so users can apply the guidance to suit their own needs and site conditions.