Airport AI: Elevating the passenger experience with WhatsApp Business

100,000

unique passengers reached

85%

automation rate

Challenge

An additional communication channel needed to improve passenger experience and reduce customer service costs

Airport AI is a leading AI-powered customer service platform used by more than 40 airports globally, offering customer support, boosting non-aeronautical revenues, and providing insights about travelers. The company wanted to integrate a communication channel that simplifies customer engagement, answers frequently asked questions quickly and more efficiently, and helps grow the reach among passengers around the world.

The channel needed to provide:

  • Ease of use for passengers looking for flight status updates, offers from airport restaurants and shops, directions, and find out any other information about the airport they’re traveling through
  • Real-time communication for faster service updates and better passenger experience
  • Two-way communication for more interactive and automated passenger engagement
  • Reliable and familiar channel to passengers, with a broad reach and a growing global adoption
  • Fast, frictionless connections between passengers and AI bots

Solution

Connecting with customers on the most popular global messaging channel

With over 2 billion monthly active users in over 100 countries, WhatsApp Business is the most popular communication channel around the globe.

WhatsApp Business Platform integrated seamlessly with Airport AI’s customer service platform – establishing simple and clear communication flows to enhance the passenger experience through automated chatbots.

By integrating WhatsApp Business as a communication channel into their platform, Airport AI enabled airports like Gatwick, Dublin, Zurich, Geneva, Altanfeethi, Riyadh, Lisbon, Cork, and Barcelona to:

  • Onboard and educate passengers: providing access to online and downloadable content to help onboard, inform, and assist passengers in accessing different information, including airport services and their locations.
  • Increase product sales: passengers can get personalized offers via quick buttons or by selecting from options provided by the chatbot.
  • Enhance customer support: allowing passengers to make queries, provide feedback and receive real-time, one-on-one support across their flight journey.

Results

Several airports reached more than 100,000 unique passengers with an average automation rate of 85%

Airport AI’s technology and WhatsApp’s user base enabled some airports to reach more than 100,000 unique passengers monthly. That is done with an average automation rate of 85%, resulting in a significant reduction in customer service costs and increased sales opportunities for products and services.

Airport AI’s WhatsApp chatbot offloads FAQs or simple queries from agents, while directing more complex ones to them when necessary. In some airports, WhatsApp Business as a channel drove 80% of the engagement traffic.

Integrating WhatsApp Business as a new communication channel with our customer service platform has helped us optimize our clients’ digital customer experiences while lowering their support costs and increasing their overall sales opportunities. With the channel being very high in demand, up to 80% of the traffic in some airports is delivered via WhatsApp Business Platform.

Pierre Cuquemelle

CEO and Co-Founder