Heathrow has launched a new Amazon Alexa skill.

Designed alongside the Voyage Team, a Piksel company, the software will give customers the opportunity to ask Alexa for live flight status information, gate updates and details on arrivals and departures.

Working with Europe’s largest hub airport, the joint project team overcame the challenge of enabling users of Alexa devices to access information on around 1,300 aircraft movements a day.

With over 84 airlines, Heathrow’s new skill needed to understand queries related to multiple carriers and interpret alphanumeric codes.

The skill draws on the data within Heathrow’s own flight information data hub, which collates all flight schedule information.

Travellers will now be able to use Alexa alongside the Heathrow website and mobile application to access consistent flight data 24 hours a day. 

Stephen Glenfield, senior digital manager at Heathrow, said: “Delivering detailed flight information directly to customers within their homes is another fantastic milestone in improving our digital experience.

“Launching the first airport-specific Alexa Skill in the UK ensures easy access to the latest flight information, helping passengers to plan their journey more effectively and improve their experience from start to finish.”

The skill is available in the Amazon Skill store now.

Dave Wood, client director at the Voyage Team, said: “We have worked with Heathrow since 2005 and have a shared focus on providing the best experience for Heathrow customers.

“Alexa is an exciting new frontier in customer service, and by adding an Alexa Skill, Heathrow is ensuring that it is serving technology-savvy customers and is ready for the growing trend in voice based services.”