Baggage operations bring distinct complications to the airline industry. Every phase of baggage handling — check-in, loading, unloading, transferring  — is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to errors. Mishandled bags can destroy customer perceptions, as can  inefficient baggage handling processes.

As fuel prices increase, and since baggage weight can directly impact fuel efficiency, the cost of baggage becomes a greater concern from both the airline and the traveler’s perspective. Baggage can potentially form a solid source of revenue, but high prices and labor challenges definitely cut into this. Thankfully, advanced technological solutions can bridge the gap, streamlining inefficient baggage processes to help airlines do more with less.

Radio-frequency identification (RFID), in particular, holds great promise as an efficiency-boosting measure. It is already heavily used by many airlines (Delta has been using  RFID technology for baggage tracking since 2016) and is likely to increase  as airlines seek new ways to reduce operational expenses while boosting customer satisfaction.

Possible Uses of RFID Technology for Airline Operations

Barcodes, QR codes, and NFC are still key scanning technologies in the airline industry and play important roles in check-in, boarding, and tracking. However, expanding the use of RFID in this industry could make operations even smoother, improving  both efficiency and passenger convenience.

This use of RFID automation can do for air travel what has already been achieved to great success on the interstates and highways of America, where it has long played into toll-collection systems. In the aviation industry, RFID technology functions a bit differently but is nonetheless capable of streamlining otherwise inefficient operations. While the  technology is already used for baggage handling processes, it can also provide options for many other airline processes.

Baggage Tracking

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has adopted RFID tags as its baggage tracking standard. Airport industry IT provider SITA explains in a Baggage IT Insights report that RFID systems can “boost passenger confidence, reduce bottlenecks at airports, and enable efficient operations.”

Cargo Handling

RFID systems  are not only useful in baggage handling operations for tracking down lost luggage, but they can also be used  in the field of cargo transportation. While it’s easier to misplace a piece of luggage due to the volume of bags and their smaller sizes, cargo can also go missing — and the business impacts of lost cargo can be enormous. RFID implementation can act not only as an efficient tracking solution, but also as a cost-saving mechanism.

Ground Service Equipment

From baggage carts to fuel trucks, many vehicles provide critical support for aircraft operations. RFID can elevate ground service equipment (GSE) strategies by providing real-time oversight. This should confirm that vehicles are consistently available — and that they are in excellent condition.

RFID systems can reveal where vehicles are situated at any given time and whether they are due for preventative maintenance services. This can extend the longevity of expensive vehicles while reducing idle time. This is also useful as a comprehensive asset-tagging strategy.

Boarding Process

Long lines seem like a natural component of the boarding process, but they are by no means inevitable. RFID tags have the potential of simplifying the boarding process by moving boarding lines automatically and reducing the need for manual boarding pass scans by passengers or gate checks by agents. This would help lead to an improved travel experience and ultimately, a better chance that consumers will continue to use their airline of choice.

Security

From boarding to ground control and in all other airline operations, there is a strong need for reliable security processes. This calls for a layered approach, encompassing access control and passenger identification — both of which can be facilitated through RFID-centric solutions.

RFID has a powerful role to play in boosting security across the entire airline industry and especially at airports. This advanced technology enables real-time visibility while enhancing screening processes and emergency response.

More on How RFID Helps with Baggage Tracking 

As mentioned above, airlines such as Delta have been using RFID baggage-tracking systems to streamline the luggage process and reduce errors. RFID tags, attached to each bag, allow for real-time tracking as the luggage moves through extensive conveyor systems that can span several miles in some airports and involve multiple transfer points. These systems require numerous scan points, from check-in to loading and unloading, which allows for accurate tracking throughout the airport journey.

The technology can greatly increase the number of bags that are processed within a certain period of time. Delta’s RFID baggage tracking systems improved their hourly bag processing rate from 350-400 bags per hour to 1,500.

RFID also can also help improve the luggage mishandling rate. Around 25 million bags are mishandled annually, according to SITA, a leading provider of air transport IT. Delta expects their RFID baggage tracking system to reduce their mishandled baggage rates by 10%, which would increase their tracking accuracy to 99.9%.

RFID technology’s precision and automation can reduce the risk of misplaced baggage, save time in the baggage tracking process, and in the end, improve the overall passenger experience with an airline.

Benefits of RFID For Airline Operations

No matter which scanning technology is preferred, it is increasingly clear that RFID represents the new normal for airline operations.

In June 2018, IATA adopted Resolution 753, which “requires tracking baggage at acceptance, loading, transfer, and arrival” — a clear sign that baggage inventory management had become a top priority for the industry.  IATA Resolution 753 has resulted in  great improvements  since its implementation, and RFID systems can only improve those results due to their automated precision, traceability, durability and removal of line-of-sight barcode scanning systems.

RFID  technology delivers many distinct advantages, making it  a worthy investment for airlines striving to boost efficiency and simultaneously reduce operational expenses. Key benefits include:

Improved Accuracy and Reduced Loss

RFID tracking systems allow airlines to use real-time data in their quest to search for missing bags. Luggage tags that feature RFID technology are much easier to track than traditional pieces of luggage with simple UPC barcodes. Airlines can track luggage more precisely with RFID, leading to a significant reduction in lost luggage and in turn, fewer frustrated customers — who may give up on a specific airline altogether if important items go missing.

Better Passenger Experience

Passengers cite lost or mishandled baggage as some of the most frustrating airline experiences, but that is not the only cause for concern. Travelers are also displeased when they need to wait in long lines or pay exorbitant baggage fees. These issues can be addressed via improved scanning technologies, which expedite processes like boarding and baggage while reducing operational expenses. Improved processes can also help airlines keep certain fees to a minimum.

Operational Efficiency for Airlines

Major carriers such as Delta Airlines, United, and American Airlines consistently seek out new strategies to streamline every facet of their business. By making the travel experience (and the operations that underscore this experience) as simple and straightforward as possible, these airlines hope to win over customers in a highly competitive field. The companies that use  RFID tags — and enjoy improved efficiency as a result — stand to benefit over rivals who are slower to implement this continuously-emerging technology.

Cost Savings

Global mishandled baggage rates doubled in 2022, from 4.35 bags per 1,000 passengers in 2021 to 7.6 bags in 2022, prompting what many referred to as the “summer of lost baggage”. While an increase in traveler volume played a role in this, it nevertheless  reinforced the need for stronger tracking, which led to increased RFID implementation. As major airline stakeholders demand increased revenues and decreased costs, it’s important for carriers to ensure that travelers get their bags on time and to their preferred destinations.

Start Using  RFID and Other Scanning Technologies with Peak Technologies

If you’re interested in new ways to leverage RFID technology, look to Peak Technologies for guidance. With  end-to-end solutions and cutting-edge insights from RFID consultants, we can help you uncover novel RFID applications. Get in touch so you can discuss your unique goals with an RFID expert.

Sources

https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2024-releases/2024-05-09-01/

https://airportindustry-news.com/air-transport-industry-improves-baggage-handling-despite-passenger-traffic/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/18/mishandled-baggage-rate-almost-doubled-globally-in-2022-as-airlines-scrambled-after-covid

/https://rainrfid.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/RFID_for_Baggage_Handling_and_Tracking-UK.pdf