The airport's customer service department faced significant operational strain managing the needs of millions of travelers with limited resources. The challenges included:

1. Limited Coverage: With only two operators working 12-hour shifts (7am to 7pm), the team struggled to handle approximately 400 weekly calls and dozens of emails efficiently.
2. Manual Processes: Customer service representatives individually managed everything from basic flight inquiries to facility maintenance coordination, creating bottlenecks during peak travel periods.

The existing system created inconsistent response times—especially with different handling procedures for weekdays versus weekends—and prevented the team from focusing on high-value passenger interactions that required human empathy. As modern travelers increasingly expected immediate, 24/7 assistance through digital channels, the airport recognized their current staffing structure couldn't scale to meet these evolving expectations.

Proto collaborated closely with Mactan-Cebu International Airport to transform their customer service approach through a carefully designed implementation process:

1. Needs Assessment: Through interviews with the Passenger Service Facility team, Proto mapped common inquiry patterns and identified key pain points in the current workflow.
2. Building Custom API Actions: integrated with the current API available for live flight info, enabling the assistant to pull real-time data about arrivals, departures, delays, and gate changes directly from the airport's operational databases.
3. Knowledge Base Development: built a comprehensive database covering flight information, airport navigation, and complaint handling procedures.
4. Interactive Map Development: with LivingMap integration, developed interactive airport map where routes could be planned between any two points within the terminal complex, allowing for personalized wayfinding instructions based on a passenger's current location and destination.

Rather than simply automating existing processes, Proto's team redesigned the entire service model around the passenger journey. They trained Proto's AI engine to understand local dialects and regional expressions commonly used by Cebu travelers, with special attention to frequent scenarios like flight information requests and navigation assistance.

Proto implemented a comprehensive AI Assistant solution that transformed the airport's customer service with the following capabilities:

1. Flight Information: The assistant provides real-time updates on arrivals and departures via API integration, including immediate notifications about delays and gate changes, giving passengers accurate information without waiting on hold for a human operator.
2. Directions To and From the Airport: Travelers can access comprehensive information about transportation options including taxis, buses, ride-sharing services, and parking guidance, helping them plan their journey to or from the airport with confidence.
3. Indoor Navigation and Airport Map: An intuitive interactive map developed with the LivingMap, helps passengers navigate the airport's complex layout, locating terminals, lounges, restaurants, shops, restrooms, and other amenities with ease, reducing confusion and improving the overall travel experience. The map can be easily updated by the airport stuff once changes have been made in terms of facilities inside the airport.
4. Complaint and Feedback System: The assistant provides a structured form that allows users to submit complaints or suggestions directly, automatically routing these to the appropriate department while ensuring nothing falls through the cracks during weekends or after hours.
5. General Inquiries Support: Beyond specific features, the assistant handles a wide range of informational questions about airport services, airline policies, baggage allowances, and local information, serving as a knowledgeable guide for travelers at any time of day.

The implementation has significantly enhanced the airport's ability to serve their millions of annual passengers efficiently, creating a more seamless travel experience while allowing human staff to focus on complex issues requiring personal attention.

Proto is the leading generative AICX platform for local languages. Its inclusive text and voice AI assistants excel at usecases for customer experience, consumer protection, employee experience, and indoor navigation. The Proto AICX Platform is powered by large language models and the proprietary ProtoAI engine for high accuracy in underserved languages. Proto deployments feature enterprise-grade security and capabilities such as on-premise hosting, customised analytics, and a 24/7 prompt engineering service. Headquartered in Waterloo, Canada, Proto is a global team operating across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.