A resident company at the Moskva (Moscow) Technopolis special economic zone has developed an innovative tracking device for airport luggage. A special RFID chip can be attached to a bag throughout its transit. With a mobile app, passengers can track the location of their labelled luggage. The Moscow company has already launched production of the chips, Moscow Mayor official website reported.
The International Air Transport Association issued a directive requiring RFID labelling at all airports starting in 2020. Airports have already started purchasing chips from developers and testing them during flights.
“Labelling luggage with RFID chips will reduce the amount of lost luggage by around 70 percent. If a passenger reports lost luggage, airport staff will be able to promptly find it using the chip and return it to the passenger. Moreover, passengers will not have to worry about lost luggage being delivered as they can track its location in real time,” said Gulnara Khasyanova, CEO of the chip developer and one of the largest producers and exporters of microelectronics in Russia, and resident of Moskva Technopolis.
RFID labels will be attached to luggage tags during check-in. Passengers can track movement of their luggage by entering a unique ID in the airline’s mobile app or the airport of departure. For example, passengers will be able to see that their luggage is being loaded or is already in the luggage hold.
Upon arrival, the passenger will collect his bag with the same chip from the luggage belt. The chip is disposable and needs to be removed after the flight.