“We’re kind of in the golden age of airport terminal improvements right now in cities across the country, which is injecting excitement into the airline industry.”
Kyle Roberts
Aviation Planning & Programming Projects Director
Delta Air Lines is one carrier embracing baggage-focused advancements. Passengers who have flown the airline recently likely had their bags tracked with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). With RFID, printers embed a chip in each temporary luggage tag. As a bag moves through its journey, scanners use radio waves to capture travelers’ data stored in the RFID chip, replacing the need for scanning barcodes by hand.
The need for passengers to attach a temporary tag to their luggage each time they fly could also soon become obsolete. A baggage innovation working group that includes Air Canada, Southwest Airlines, Toronto Pearson Airport and several vendors launched a focus group on the use of permanent RFID bag tags, a program Australian carrier Quantas introduced in 2021. Quantas’ Q Bag Tag automatically synchronizes with a passenger’s boarding pass information, eliminating the need to attach a temporary tag at ticketing.
The challenge with utilizing a permanent bag tag, however, is that not all baggage handling systems are configured to read those RFID tags; thus, luggage from someone changing planes at another airport might need another paper tag for proper sorting. Currently, the Quantas Q Bag Tag can only be used within the airline’s domestic network.
A much different airport baggage handling approach utilizes AI systems. The BagsID system backed by Star Alliance uses biometric screening technology to take an image of a checked or carry-on bag to match it with its corresponding owner. The image registers the bag’s dimensions, color, scratches and any other unique markers, so no nametag, barcode label or RFID chip is required. BagsID says its technology helps load planes smarter and more efficiently because it can use each bag’s dimensions to forecast checked and carry-on baggage space.
An autonomous baggage system consists of a self-driving cart with a conveyor belt — almost like a luggage robot. In one application, such as the BAGXONE system designed by Alstef Group, Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) collect individual bags and transport each piece to where it needs to go. Another application involves autonomous Mobile Inspection Tables (MITs), which are used inside airport checked baggage reconciliation areas. Alarm bags that require manual inspection by TSA are delivered via MITs to Transportation Screening Officers (TSOs) for screening. Once the bag is screened, it is routed back to the appropriate conveyor belt.
Delta Air Lines is one carrier embracing baggage-focused advancements. Passengers who have flown the airline recently likely had their bags tracked with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). With RFID, printers embed a chip in each temporary luggage tag. As a bag moves through its journey, scanners use radio waves to capture travelers’ data stored in the RFID chip, replacing the need for scanning barcodes by hand.
The need for passengers to attach a temporary tag to their luggage each time they fly could also soon become obsolete. A baggage innovation working group that includes Air Canada, Southwest Airlines, Toronto Pearson Airport and several vendors launched a focus group on the use of permanent RFID bag tags, a program Australian carrier Quantas introduced in 2021. Quantas’ Q Bag Tag automatically synchronizes with a passenger’s boarding pass information, eliminating the need to attach a temporary tag at ticketing.
The challenge with utilizing a permanent bag tag, however, is that not all baggage handling systems are configured to read those RFID tags; thus, luggage from someone changing planes at another airport might need another paper tag for proper sorting. Currently, the Quantas Q Bag Tag can only be used within the airline’s domestic network.
A much different airport baggage handling approach utilizes AI systems. The BagsID system backed by Star Alliance uses biometric screening technology to take an image of a checked or carry-on bag to match it with its corresponding owner. The image registers the bag’s dimensions, color, scratches and any other unique markers, so no nametag, barcode label or RFID chip is required. BagsID says its technology helps load planes smarter and more efficiently because it can use each bag’s dimensions to forecast checked and carry-on baggage space.
An autonomous baggage system consists of a self-driving cart with a conveyor belt — almost like a luggage robot. In one application, such as the BAGXONE system designed by Alstef Group, Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) collect individual bags and transport each piece to where it needs to go. Another application involves autonomous Mobile Inspection Tables (MITs), which are used inside airport checked baggage reconciliation areas. Alarm bags that require manual inspection by TSA are delivered via MITs to Transportation Screening Officers (TSOs) for screening. Once the bag is screened, it is routed back to the appropriate conveyor belt.
The typical commute that often involves spending hours sitting in traffic could soon change thanks to eVTOL, or an aircraft with an electric vertical take-off and landing that is often referred to as a “taxi of the skies.” A customer could, for example, take an eVTOL aircraft from their home in the suburbs to a helipad downtown, thus avoiding roadway traffic. A traveler may also one day take an eVTOL aircraft to the airport, which would alleviate traffic congestion outside the terminal. Several companies, including Boeing, are developing eVTOL aircraft.
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