Air France-KLM Embarks on RFID Luggage-Tag Trial

"It is up to each airport to decide if they want to allow us to install RFID within their facilities," says Air France-KLM spokesperson Marina Tymen. "So far, CDG and Schiphol have allowed us to, and Narita as agreed to do so, as well. Detroit could follow in the fall, but nothing has been finalized."

Air France says that it has already tested the RFID-enabled baggage labels to ensure the technology can work at 952 MHz, as required by communications regulations in Japan, and at 869 MHz, as required by European Union rules.

Air France believes that using RFID to track to passenger checked luggage will help the airline know exactly where each item is, as the tags can be read automatically at key points in the baggage-handling process. At present, the company says, 11 out of every 1,000 items of baggage it carries fail to arrive at the final destination together with the passenger. However, an additional 19 per 1,000 arrive late to the baggage-pickup carousel, and that can mean additional cost for the airline.

"We already have a business case for implementing RFID tracking on missed bags," says Lucas, referring to bags that have missed the flight their owner has boarded and therefore have to be sent on a different plane to the same destination as quickly as possible.

Further out, Air France believes that the level of baggage visibility enabled by the introduction of RFID will provide the basis for new services for their passengers." In the long term, we would like to be able to tell a passenger that their luggage has definitely arrived with them at the airport and exactly when it will arrive at the carousel—say, five or 10 minutes more-and, 'So please wait a little while longer,'" says Tymen.

The company envisions a separate video monitor in the arrivals hall that could inform passengers when each item of luggage will arrive in the baggage hall for collection. That would spare Air France from having to arrange to have luggage forwarded to a passenger's final destination at the company's expense. "Sending baggage in taxis late at night or the next day costs us a lot of money," says Tymen.

Air France-KLM has been designated a "pilot airline" by the IATA to test RFID baggage tagging, and its RFID test is part of the IATA's baggage management improvement program.