Airlines have toyed with the idea of putting advertisements inside aircraft. Some have donned ads on the exteriors of their planes and some budget carriers plaster their overhead bins with ads that some find unsightly while others ignore. Now airports are getting into the game and we're not just talking about the baggage claim carousels.

A regional U.S. airport in the state of Oregon is considering selling space on all four sides of its control tower to corporate sponsors in a quest to raise additional revenue. This could take the form of traditional billboards or a high-tech series of lighting wizardry. While this is not an entirely new idea, how will flyers feel about constantly being bombarded by advertisements from departure to arrival, even while taxiing to a gate, which may very well be adorned with such marketing artwork?

Airports typically make their money on the ancillary services they provide, including parking and concessions inside their terminals. They also collect fees from airlines for landing rights and terminal and gate leases. Perhaps the most notable sources of revenue come from the seemingly increasing number of taxes that airline passengers pay; but these are supposedly earmarked for airport improvements and not necessarily destined for the bottom lines of most major airports. While well within their rights to sell advertising space on their properties, airports could be pushing the envelope on information overload for passengers already hyper-stimulated by the overall travel experience. Maybe passengers could simply turn a blind eye, but airports could be onto something.

Sports and entertainment teams and their venues are already draped with advertisements and one could understand the monetary infusion such ads provide to make such events possible. However, some flyers feel that the travel experience is somewhat sacrosanct and should not cross the line between marketing and peaceful travel. After all, the airlines invest lots of money to sell their particular brand of service and value, right? Don't expect this to be the end of the story. The industry is thinking out of the box, and the plane, and the airport. Will the sky be the limit, or will the sky be the next blank canvas? Just think: You're flying at 35,000 feet and looking out of the window because that's the only place to look to get away from the annoying actions of your fellow passengers. Suddenly, you look toward those towering clouds that your aircraft is passing and see the unbelievable – an ad, projected from the sides of the plane directly onto those fluffy white clouds that were taking you on a mental hiatus. It's not been done or talked about as far as we know, but it sure is possible.

We already see corporate ads on the outside of jet bridges at many international airports and some can be seen along the interior walls of those same boarding tunnels. Ads are also in place on the turning surfaces of many baggage carousels and customers have barely uttered a whisper. There are probably limits to where ads can be placed. For example, any ad that would distract both passengers and pilots would probably not fly with safety authorities. But with an industry strapped for cash, it's safe to expect that any blank space can be seen as an advertising canvas waiting to attract your captive eyes. How much of it are you willing to put up with?