Emirates Airlines has set aside Sh40 million for upgrading of technology in the baggage transport division.
The investment will help streamline the tracking of bags as well as expand the airline’s capacity to handle the increasing volume of baggage.
“This is about using technology to do the job better,” Emirates regional general manager for East Africa, Ali Al Shamsi, said.
The new system is based on the radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology that is being adopted by the world’s top airlines.
RFID is an upgrade of the bar code system and is commonly used. Unlike bar-codes, RFID can be read from a distance, does not need much space and can be stuck to any surface.
Last year, the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport became the first African airport to instal RFID for baggage checks in a bid to curb baggage theft and mishandling, which costs the aviation industry $750 million annually. Emirates said it would partner with London’s Heathrow, Dubai and Hong Kong airports, in trials for the new system.
Previous RFID trials have shown that the technology eliminates scanner misreads and significantly improves the efficiency of the baggage system and customer experience. With 58 of the double-decked A380 aircraft entering Emirates’ service, each doubling the number of bags handled per aircraft, the need for improved baggage handling systems has become imperative to reduce exposure to losses. RFID equipment has been installed at some of Emirates’ check-in desks at the three participating airports.
During the trial, trained staff will apply tags containing RFID chips to bags as part of the normal check-in process. The chips contain stored information including the bag unique ID number and route.
In addition to the embedded RFID chips, these tags will also continue to display the traditional bar code.
The chips will enable bags to be tracked at every stage of their journey, and minimise the possibilities for mishandling baggage.
Mr Al Shamsi said RFID technology could enable airlines to send a text message to let passengers know when their luggage has arrived on the baggage carousel. Source
The investment will help streamline the tracking of bags as well as expand the airline’s capacity to handle the increasing volume of baggage.
“This is about using technology to do the job better,” Emirates regional general manager for East Africa, Ali Al Shamsi, said.
The new system is based on the radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology that is being adopted by the world’s top airlines.
RFID is an upgrade of the bar code system and is commonly used. Unlike bar-codes, RFID can be read from a distance, does not need much space and can be stuck to any surface.
Last year, the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport became the first African airport to instal RFID for baggage checks in a bid to curb baggage theft and mishandling, which costs the aviation industry $750 million annually. Emirates said it would partner with London’s Heathrow, Dubai and Hong Kong airports, in trials for the new system.
Previous RFID trials have shown that the technology eliminates scanner misreads and significantly improves the efficiency of the baggage system and customer experience. With 58 of the double-decked A380 aircraft entering Emirates’ service, each doubling the number of bags handled per aircraft, the need for improved baggage handling systems has become imperative to reduce exposure to losses. RFID equipment has been installed at some of Emirates’ check-in desks at the three participating airports.
During the trial, trained staff will apply tags containing RFID chips to bags as part of the normal check-in process. The chips contain stored information including the bag unique ID number and route.
In addition to the embedded RFID chips, these tags will also continue to display the traditional bar code.
The chips will enable bags to be tracked at every stage of their journey, and minimise the possibilities for mishandling baggage.
Mr Al Shamsi said RFID technology could enable airlines to send a text message to let passengers know when their luggage has arrived on the baggage carousel. Source
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