Strike updates on your smartphone via WhatsApp

Hamburg Airport sent strike updates via WhatsApp to keep its passengers and guests completely informed up to the minute about what was happening at the airport. This is the first time a German airport has taken this approach. At regular intervals, passengers received updates on their smartphones about the expected waiting times at check-in. This direct communication was occasioned by a strike by the union Ver.di on 23 January, impacting terminal operations at Hamburg Airport. The union had called on personnel at the security checkpoints to stop work between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Direct communication for passengers and those meeting them

The airport published a mobile telephone number on its website and social media channels. Sending a WhatsApp message to this number served as a simple way for interested users to register for the new service. Hamburg Airport then sent updates using the Broadcast function. Follow-up queries were answered individually. For users, it is a real advantage to be able to use WhatsApp, an existing and frequently used app, to request the service in a simple and informal way, without the need for complex and time-intensive registration. More than 150 passengers took advantage of the information channel, which was set up at short notice. "Without exception, the feedback from passengers was positive," reports Stefanie Harder, Head of Press and Public Relations at Hamburg Airport. "Passengers felt that we were really keeping them in the loop, as proven by the  individual messages that we received about our strike updates and by the comments on our social media channels."

 Hamburg Airport is now considering using the WhatsApp messenger service for direct communication in the future - for example for strikes, major events, or when adverse weather conditions hamper operations.

 Airport Press Contact:

Department of Press and Public Relations

Telephone: +49 (0)40 – 5075 3611 │ Email: presse@ham.airport.de

Internet: www.hamburg-airport.de │ Newsletter: www.hamburg-airport.de/en/newsletter.php

www.facebook.com/HamburgAirport │ www.twitter.com/HamburgAirport