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Never lose your luggage again with RFID technology

Dubai - The deployment of real time tracking technology can save the air transport industry $3 billion

Losing your luggage at an airport might soon be a thing of the past, thanks to the introduction of a technology that tracks your baggage in real time.
The global deployment of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, which can accurately track passengers' baggage in real time across key points in the journey, can enable the air transport industry to save more than $3 billion over the next seven years. Global IT provider Sita and the International Air Transport Association (Iata) revealed that the highly accurate tracking rates of RFID technology could reduce the number of mishandled bags by up to 25 per cent by 2022.
In particular, RFID will address mishandling during transfer from one flight to another. The technology will ensure that airports, airlines and ground handlers are able to keep track of bags at every step of the journey and ensure the right bag is loaded onto the correct flight. The technology supports Iata's Resolution 753, which requires that by 2018 airlines keep track of every item of baggage from start to finish.
According to the Sita Baggage Report 2016, technology has helped reduce the number of mishandled bags by 50 per cent from a record 46.9 million mishandled bags in 2007, saving the industry $22.4 billion.
Andrew Price, head of global baggage operations at Iata, said: "Over the past few years, we have seen more work to help airlines introduce and reap the benefits of RFID technology through better oversight of their baggage operations."
Initial deployments of RFID by airlines, such as Delta Air Lines, show a 99 per cent success rate for tracking bags, helping further reduce the number of mishandled bags. The Sita/Iata business case shows that the improvements in handling rates do not come at a great cost. RFID capabilities can be deployed for as little as $0.1 per passenger on average while generating expected savings of more than $0.2 per passenger.
With some big airlines and airports already introducing RFID technology, combined with the fact that it is compatible with existing barcode technology, adoption of RFID across all airports could provide a positive return for airlines, both in cost savings and passenger satisfaction.
Iata has also announced that the Passenger Services Conference (PSC) has adopted a resolution on a standard for the One Order initiative. Leveraging the data communication advances from the New Distribution Capability, One Order will modernise and simplify airline order management, including the delivery, fulfilment and accounting processes related to airline products and services. For passengers, One Order will mean the gradual disappearance of multiple reservation records in favour of one document and a single order number.
"One Order will eliminate the need for passengers to juggle different reference numbers and documents along their journeys. With One Order, the only thing that passengers will need to be instantly recognised is their order number. It will greatly simplify the passenger experience and remove one of the hassles of travel - trying to find the correct document or number when dealing with an itinerary change or a travel disruption," said Aleks Popovich, Iata's senior vice-president of financial and distribution services.
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com