NCAA to automate baggage tracking

By Dickson Omobola

Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has concluded plans to mandate the use of Radio Frequency Identification, RFID, baggage tracking technology across Nigerian airports.

The move is part of the regulator’s efforts to eliminate the growing incidence of delayed, missing and mishandled baggage at domestic and international terminals.

The automated system will replace the traditional barcode-based framework, enabling airlines and passengers to track checked baggage in real time from the point of check-in to final reclaim, without requiring a direct line of sight.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement forum held at the NCAA Annex in Lagos, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Mr Michael Achimugu, said: “For many years now, one of the biggest complaints in the industry has been that of baggage, it is either passengers’ bags have been short-landed, missing, lost, or destroyed.

“After delayed flights, baggage issues are the biggest problem. So, what we have decided to do is improve the system by automating it. The technology we are looking to use now is RFID to replace the current technology being used. Standard regulations allow airlines up to seven days to locate and reconcile short-landed baggage with domestic travelers. With RFID tracking, missing or misrouted luggage can be identified and located instantly. Even while you have boarded, you can check to be sure that your bag is on that flight.

“And if for any unforeseen circumstance your bag has not landed with you, you can tell even without complaining to the airline where your bag is. So, when you call to complain, you can tell them specifically that you have landed in Lagos, but your bag is in Enugu.”

The NCAA also said traditional barcodes require ground handlers to manually align a laser scanner with a printed paper tag on every luggage. If a tag is twisted, torn, dirty, or obscured, the scanner fails to read it.

RFID tags, by contrast, embed a tiny microchip and antenna that broadcast location data via radio waves. Scanners can instantly read multiple tags through containers, baggage belts, and cargo holds without needing a direct line-of-sight.

While the technical implementation is being driven in collaboration with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, as the infrastructure owner, the NCAA is currently reviewing civil aviation regulations to make automated RFID tracking mandatory for all airlines operating within Nigerian airspace.

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