The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is working with airlines, airport authorities and other aviation service providers to introduce Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for tracking passengers’ checked baggage at Nigerian airports.
The technology will help passengers with better visibility of their luggage from check-in through loading and arrival at their destination, while helping airlines and ground handlers identify problems when bags are delayed, misrouted or do not arrive with passengers.
The stakeholder engagement was held in Lagos, involving the NCAA, domestic airlines, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other aviation operators to discuss the proposed migration to RFID baggage tagging.
Michael Achimugu, director of public affairs and consumer protection at the NCAA, said baggage problems remain one of the major complaints from air passengers and that the new technology will improve baggage handling and the resolution of complaints.
With the proposed system, passengers would be able to monitor the movement of their bags through the application. The system would show key stages of the baggage journey, including check-in, sorting, movement to the aircraft and arrival at the destination.
The technology could also help prevent some cases of misrouted baggage. For example, a bag meant to travel from Lagos to Kano could be identified if it is being processed for the wrong destination before it is loaded onto an aircraft.
The planned system would use RFID tags and readers installed at important points in the baggage-handling process, with the information connected to existing airline systems and a passenger-facing application. The technology will provide airlines, airport operators and ground handlers with better information on where a bag is when a problem occurs.
According to the NCAA, RFID baggage tracking is already used in other parts of the world but would be introduced in Nigeria for the first time. The authority said its proper implementation could improve baggage handling, complaint resolution and passenger satisfaction.
The airport operators said the system would provide a more detailed record of baggage movement and help them identify where breakdowns occur in the handling process.
