Air France will be running a trial with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to label and track passenger baggage on flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. KLM starts the trial on July 10 at two baggage drop-off points in Departure Hall 2 at Schiphol.


The RFID tags will be used for all baggage dropped off at these points, regardless of the destination. Later this year, all drop-off points in Departure Hall 2 will be equipped to handle RFID tags. KLM developed RFID together with Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, which is responsible for facilitation.

“We are launching these RFID baggage tests in the hope that these labels will eventually replace the existing barcode technology. This will enable Air France KLM to secure its leading position in terms of offering passengers innovative products,” said Pascal de Izaguirre, Vice President of Operations at Air France. “In addition to Paris-Amsterdam flights, we will also be testing this technology on Paris-Tokyo flights this summer”,

he added. The new RFID labels, which are uniform to Air France and KLM, will also be introduced at a later stage to Air France and KLM outstations.

Follow up:

In the long term, an RFID chip will be encoded in the passenger’s baggage tag or integrated into the baggage containers. Sensors located around the airport allow the airline to locate baggage in real time and provide passengers with more up-to-date information.

“The aim is to provide all Air France and KLM passengers with innovative and transparent services, such as displaying baggage delivery times or providing connecting passengers with regular updates on the precise location of their transfer bags, as well as enhanced security,”

says Pascal de Izaguirre.


Frank de Reij, Executive Vice President of KLM Ground Services, stressed the intensive cooperation with both Air France and Schiphol Airport:

“We share the same passion for innovation and together we are able to offer the same service to our customers, both at Schiphol and at Charles de Gaulle.”

Air France has been designated “pilot airline” by IATA, the International Air Transport Association for this new technology. The adoption of RFID technology at the end of 2005 is one of the four priorities defined by IATA as part of its “Simplifying the Business” program. The Air France KLM Group’s decision to test the RFID system is part of the baggage management improvement program.


Source: Strategiy


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