Airport Says Payback Is in the Bag
When its RFID luggage-handling system goes online in January, the Hong Kong Airport expects to lower labor costs, increase capacity and improve security.
By Jonathan Collins
Dec. 13, 2004—Hong Kong International is one of the busiest airports in the world, handling approximately 35 million passengers each year. In June, Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), which operates Hong Kong International, announced it was set to build the largest single RFID network in Asia and that the network would be launched in January 2005.
The airport is not only a popular destination but also a major hub for international travelers changing planes. About 40 percent of the 17 million luggage items that the airport handles each year belong to passengers who arrive by plane and transfer to another flight. And as more and more Chinese travel abroad, those figures are expected to grow significantly.
Currently, to process all that luggage and make sure it gets to the proper plane on time, the airport has depended on a system that requires a bar-coded and human-readable label attached to each piece luggage as it is checked in. But during the past six months, AAHK has been busy adding RFID to its baggage-handling system.
"With RFID technology, we saw an opportunity to utilize the technology to improve security and operational efficiency. We expect to get improved automatic baggage reconciliation functions and better read rates," says Wong Yiu-fai, head of technical services and procurement at AAHK.
Dec. 13, 2004—Hong Kong International is one of the busiest airports in the world, handling approximately 35 million passengers each year. In June, Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), which operates Hong Kong International, announced it was set to build the largest single RFID network in Asia and that the network would be launched in January 2005.
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| The RFID system installed along conveyors doesn't require line of sight |
The airport is not only a popular destination but also a major hub for international travelers changing planes. About 40 percent of the 17 million luggage items that the airport handles each year belong to passengers who arrive by plane and transfer to another flight. And as more and more Chinese travel abroad, those figures are expected to grow significantly.
Currently, to process all that luggage and make sure it gets to the proper plane on time, the airport has depended on a system that requires a bar-coded and human-readable label attached to each piece luggage as it is checked in. But during the past six months, AAHK has been busy adding RFID to its baggage-handling system.
"With RFID technology, we saw an opportunity to utilize the technology to improve security and operational efficiency. We expect to get improved automatic baggage reconciliation functions and better read rates," says Wong Yiu-fai, head of technical services and procurement at AAHK.
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