Government Organization
Aeroporti di Roma S.p.A. (FCO Rome Airports)
Empowering travelers with real-time airport information via WhatsApp
Aeroporti di Roma S.p.A. (ADR) manages and develops Rome’s airport system, delivering safe, efficient, and sustainable services. ADR serves as a strategic gateway for Italy, supporting passengers, airlines, and the wider airport ecosystem while driving economic growth, tourism, and global mobility. The organization’s aim is to provide a high-quality travel experience for passengers, a goal that increasingly requires modern technology solutions.
Challenge
ADR needs to provide passengers with real-time, accurate, and easily accessible airport and flight information. But traditional methods such as departure boards, the website and physical information desks require travelers to stay in specific locations or actively seek assistance. This creates congestion, reduces passenger autonomy, and fails to meet rising expectations for instant, on-demand updates. Existing solutions also lack the instant, on-demand digital support the public desires, limiting engagement. ADR recognized an opportunity to shift toward proactive, digital-first communication that would empower passengers with live updates and self-service support. Additionally, it could help reduce the public’s reliance on physical infrastructure and improve overall efficiency within busy airport environments.
Solution
ADR implemented a virtual assistant using the WhatsApp Business Platform to deliver real-time communication directly to smartphones. By leveraging a technology already used daily by international travelers, ADR simplified the experience by removing the need for app downloads, which in turn lowered barriers to adoption. Via utility messages in WhatsApp, the solution provides live notifications for gate changes, boarding calls, and delays, ensuring passengers stay informed anywhere in the terminal.
An automated virtual assistant on WhatsApp enables people to ask questions and receive instant responses about airport services, wayfinding, and procedures through a familiar interface. This approach combines convenience, immediacy, and scalability, delivering a passenger experience that is seamless and accessible.
This functionality is actively promoted throughout the airport across all major passenger touchpoints. All flight information monitors display a footer featuring a QR code with a dedicated WhatsApp number, directing passengers to the service and engaging those seeking flight-related information. Additionally, a dedicated communication campaign is displayed on LED walls, interior and exterior monitors, parking areas, and shuttle buses, all highlighting the service and including QR codes linking directly to the ADR WhatsApp experience. The same campaign was adapted for ADR’s Instagram and Facebook pages, and is periodically updated and refreshed.
To further extend awareness beyond the airport premises, direct links to the WhatsApp virtual assistant have also been integrated into ADR’s official website and the airport’s Instagram profile, maximizing reach and passenger engagement.
Results*
ADR’s virtual assistant drove strong passenger engagement by delivering real-time support through a familiar channel. It achieved a high satisfaction rating of 4.55 out of 5, based on feedback from more than 128,000 passengers collected directly through the virtual assistant, which prompts interacting passengers to rate their experience on a 1-to-5 scale and securely stores responses to provide evidence-based rankings of the activities performed. The feedback reflects the solution’s effectiveness in meeting critical information needs and enhancing the overall travel experience.
>1 million
conversations managed by the ADR Virtual Assistant from July 2025 to May 2026
90%
of conversations were flight information requests
4.55/5
satisfaction rating among 128k passengers surveyed via the ADR Virtual Assistant
“From the first ‘Buongiorno’ to the final ‘Arrivederci’, we are committed to offering a smooth travel experience that blends Italian hospitality with technological innovation. The Virtual Assistant marks a significant milestone in our digital transformation journey, enabling us to provide personalized support to the roughly 50 million travelers who pass through our airports each year, ensuring that their first and last moments in contact with the city are comfortable and effortless.”
Emanuele Calà, Senior Vice President Transformation & Technology at Aeroporti di Roma
Learnings
- Meet people where they are: By launching its virtual assistant on the WhatsApp Business Platform, ADR eliminated the need for downloads and met passengers in a channel they were already using in daily communication.
- Turn real-time moments into meaningful engagement: By launching its virtual assistant on the WhatsApp Business Platform, ADR eliminated the need for downloads and met passengers in a channel they were already using in daily communication.
- Reduce friction to increase adoption: Replacing app-based or desk-dependent queries with a simple messaging interface demonstrated how reducing steps directly translates into higher usage and satisfaction.
- Design conversations, not just information delivery: Enabling passengers to ask questions and receive instant responses transformed static airport information into an interactive, on-demand experience.
- Bridge physical environments with digital services: Integrating mobile assistance into the airport journey helped reduce reliance on stationary screens and service desks while improving flow and passenger autonomy.
- Use data and feedback to continuously improve: Monitoring usage patterns and satisfaction scores enabled ongoing refinement of the assistant, ensuring it stayed aligned with evolving passenger needs.
Learn more about using WhatsApp to increase reach and engagement.
Note: Aeroporti di Roma S.p.A. (ADR) is a public-private partnership.