Gatwick airport is launching a new passenger-facing app,

one of the several digital innovations that e-retailers can use to their advantage to target the airport’s travellers.

The free app would offer personalised flight alerts, real-time queue updates for check-in and security, intuitive navigation using beacon technology and shopping, restaurant and airport offers instantly redeemable just with a touch of a button.

This means that the holidaymakers and business travellers can enjoy a more seamless experience when travelling through Gatwick as it boasts a range of features. Just with one tap users would be able to receive real-time flight updates on flight status and gate information straight to their phone.

Gatwick has already installed 2,000 navigation beacons guiding travellers through terminal buildings, as part of the airport’s £2.5bn transformation programme. The next move is to accompany this feature with instantly redeemable shopping and eating offers that could be ultimately used by retailers, to send exclusive offerers specific to travellers’ terminals as they pass the stores nearby.

Cathal Corcoran, Chief Information Officer, Gatwick Airport, explained: “Our new app is just one of many exciting digital initiatives that our award-winning digital team is developing. We are transforming the way airport information is communicated and will soon connect passengers to intelligent chatbots using Facebook [RDX VFAC ] Messenger, Skype, and other popular apps. He continues: “The airport’s 2000 wayfinding beacons are also a world first and have the capability to enable augmented reality wayfinding for passengers, making it easier to navigate the airport’s two terminal buildings.”

Other initiatives going live soon as part of Gatwick’s ‘digital transformation’ programme include advanced chat-bots, augmented reality wayfinding and the airport wise-use of Internet of Things.