When in Rome: VMZ gives travelers the ultimate airport upgrade

In 2023, Rome's Fiumicino-Leonardo da Vinci Airport welcomed 40.5 million passengers, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

With its endless attractions, classic architecture and captivating cuisine, it’s no wonder that visiting the Eternal City is at the top of many travelers’ bucket list.

“According to the airport, 80% of people visiting Rome consider it a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Tom Schilling, Head of Mobility Services at VMZ.

VMZ, a 100% subsidiary of Yunex Traffic, has worked with German airports for over ten years to provide customers with “mobility monitors”, information screens displaying accurate public transportation times, as well as real-time city traffic updates for people brave enough to rent a car or jump in a taxi.

Last December, Rome became the first airport outside of Germany to have them installed. Arranged around a concrete pillar at both the luggage carousels and near the terminal exits, each grouping of mobility monitors has been designed to look like a flower in bloom – a far cry from their previous information screens developed with Google.

Now, customers are able to see up-to-date information for each transportation option — such as train, taxis, coaches and shuttles — and they can also scan a QR code with their mobile that will take them to a responsive website.

A responsive website, rather than a dedicated app, might seem counter-intuitive, but because the airport knows that most tourists will most likely only visit Rome once, having to download an entire app isn’t the best solution.

The website not only directs them to their chosen mode of transportation, but also displays accurate timings so customers know when they can expect to make it to the city.

To deliver this level of precision, each mobility monitor connected to car traffic – such as the screens displaying the flow and congestion around the city center – relies on HERE Real-Time Traffic. VMZ also uses HERE Routing to provide up-to-date public transportation journey times.

“We’re using HERE more and more,” said Tom. “Not only because of the accuracy of the data, but also the personability. Teaming up with HERE feels more like a collaboration than simply working with a supplier.”

Rome Airport’s mobility monitors have been such a success, VMZ is already setting their sights on installing them at other major air travel hubs around the world. What’s more, Tom said, the newest mobility monitors they are currently developing will make traveling even smoother and easier.

“They will be a lot more flexible and react faster to customer needs. As you can imagine, large infrastructure sites such as airports are often undergoing improvement works. If certain points of interest have been moved, it is crucial that your system is able to adapt quickly."