The AI-enabled chatbot provides easy access to information prior to and throughout a passenger’s journey. Passengers can type their destination and select their flight from a list to receive real-time updates on the flight status. Those looking for somewhere to eat before their flight can also use the chatbot to help them find a suitable restaurant, for example by asking, “Which restaurants have vegetarian options?”, to generate a list of eateries.
In creating the chatbot, Gatwick collaborated within the VINCI Airports network, in particular with Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport in France, which launched its chatbot in October 2017.
Currently, the Gatwick chatbot understands and answers about 80% of questions received and within a year the chatbots of both Lyon-Saint Exupéry and Gatwick are expected to reach around 95% understanding, by learning from interactions with users. As Gail grows more popular among passengers, Gatwick airport plans to expand the service to include different languages from 2020.
Already available on Facebook Messenger, the Gatwick chatbot will be tested on additional platforms such as WhatsApp and Apple Business Messenger, to facilitate multi-channel access.
