Birmingham Airport’s AI Assistant Handles 780,000 Messages in First Year

Birmingham Airport’s artificial intelligence (AI) customer assistant, BABS, has handled more than 780,000 messages since its launch a year ago, helping passengers access information quickly while freeing airport colleagues to focus on customers requiring personal assistance.

Developed in partnership with Hello Lamp Post, BABS has been used by more than 220,000 customers, providing guidance on check-in, security, car parking, lounges, accessibility services and terminal facilities.

The platform is accessible through dedicated airport touchscreens and QR codes, allowing passengers to continue conversations on their own mobile devices. It also supports multiple languages and can adapt to assist visually impaired customers.

Birmingham Airport is exploring further accessibility improvements, including spoken-word functionality, alongside additional ways to make information available through mobile devices and existing messaging apps.

Supporting passengers and airport teams

BABS provides information on baggage procedures, airport navigation, passenger facilities, security requirements, flight updates and security waiting times. By handling common enquiries, it helps reduce the workload on customer-facing teams, giving colleagues more time to assist vulnerable passengers and those who need additional support.

Insights gathered from customer interactions also help the airport identify passenger needs and inform improvements to its services.

The airport is now exploring how BABS could support colleagues and wider operations by providing timely information, improving coordination and strengthening customer service across the terminal.

Stuart Haseley-Nejrup, Head of Customer Strategy at Birmingham Airport, said the assistant had made a difference to both passengers and colleagues by providing quick reassurance and information while allowing staff to concentrate on customers who need a more personal level of care.

He added that BABS was part of the airport’s wider customer experience strategy, demonstrating how technology could complement rather than replace human support.

Tiernan Mines, CEO and Co-founder of Hello Lamp Post, said the results demonstrated the potential of AI to improve the passenger experience while supporting airport employees.

He added that the partnership would continue to develop the platform, with a focus on making it more accessible and extending its role in the airport environment.