Even if the phenomenon remains marginal in relation to the volume transported, lost luggage is a major concern for passengers, especially during vacation periods. Even if most of the time the luggage is only lost, it is not a pleasant situation and airlines and airports are doing their best to improve the traceability of luggage, especially since the IATA (International Air Transport Association) has issued a resolution to require that the baggage be tracked along the entire route.
RFID baggage tracking at CDG
So from 2020, Air France will ensure baggage traceability at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport thanks to tags equipped with RFID chips with the cooperation of Paris Airport. Air France is one of the very first airlines in the world to have decided, in collaboration with Paris Airport, to implement the use of RFID technology. For Air France in 2020, about 8 million bags per year will be tagged.
This technology will be progressively deployed at other Air France airports as well as at all the terminals at Paris-Charles de Gaulle, particularly Terminal 1.
For Air France and Paris Airport, the stakes are twofold:
- Respond to customers’ need for information about their luggage;
- Improve baggage identification and tracking (with gains in operational performance) and reduce associated operating costs.
Airline industry prepares to carry more than 7.8 billion passengers per year
Over the next few years, the estimated growth in air traffic is expected to lead to a doubling of the number of bags carried annually, which currently stands at 4.6 billion.
Photo : lost luggage by Maurizio Milanesio via Shutterstock