Travellers in airports across the world can now use WhatsApp to get flight information, sales offers and airport directions, thanks to a partnership between Airbot Technology Ltd and Infobip.
The WhatsApp chatbots are already live at Gatwick, Dublin, Zurich and Riyadh airports, with more destinations expected to go live in the coming months.
Airport AI, the AI-powered customer service platform developed by Airbot Technology Ltd was integrated into Infobip’s WhatsApp for Business API to create the chatbots.
Pierre Cuquemelle, CEO at Airbot Technology Ltd, said: “Our Airport AI platform is trained with millions of conversations, making it easy for airports to answer passengers’ frequently asked questions quickly and efficiently. Updates on information such as flight times, departure gates and airport amenities can now be at passengers’ fingertips.”
Cuquemelle adds: “Global airport spending on Landside Digital Transformation is expected to reach $4.6 billion by 2023, with many business leaders focusing on how they can leverage technology to improve customer service and passenger flow through the airport. WhatsApp chatbots should be considered a vital tool for doing exactly that.”
Nikhil Shoorji, Managing Director Europe, at Infobip, adds: “Airbot Technology’s chatbot goes far beyond answering simple FAQs. The WhatsApp for Business service can be used to send push notifications, share promotional offers at duty free stores and provide contextual follow-ups. For example, if a passenger simply typed the word ‘pizza,’ the chatbot would reply with a list of all the airport restaurants serving this type of food and will follow-up by offering directions.”
Shoorji concludes: “WhatsApp is the perfect channel to reach passengers across the world. With two billion users across 180 countries globally, the channel will quickly become the go-to platform for businesses in the coming years. This partnership will help airports across the globe deliver the very best customer experience as they re-open their doors.”
Riyadh Airport became the first airport in the world to launch a WhatsApp chatbot last year. The entirely automated service is available in both English and Arabic and was used by 130,000 users in its first month. To date it has received an average customer feedback score of 4.5/5.
