Using RFID to Improve Baggage Performance - Learning from the Front Line

Andrew Price is an electronic engineer by training and a project

manager by profession. Andrew has worked in the area of RFID since 1998 when he was responsible for the British Airways RFID trials for baggage. In 2005 he joined IATA, the international Air Transport Association. IATA is leading the airline industry in improving customer service whilst reducing costs with their Simplifying the Business Programme, which aims to reduce airline industry costs by $6.5 billion per annum. The RFID component of this project initially looked at resolving the use of RFID in baggage, leading to the introduction of RP1740C for UHF baggage tags. The IATA Board of Governors then widened the scope of the project to include inflight RFID, Cargo Container Tracking, Freight, Parts and RFID for aircraft turnaround. The business case for baggage won the RFID Breakthrough Award for best business case in 2006. Andrew is responsible for all aspects of RFID in the Simplifying the Business programme, and has been involved with RFID implementations and trials around the globe.

Over 60 years, IATA has developed the commercial standards that built a global industry. Its members comprise some 260 airlines - the world's leading passenger and cargo airlines among them - representing 94 percent of international traffic. IATA offers a suite of financial services to the airline industry and associated partners to help them contain costs, improve their cash flow and maximize revenues. These services are enhancing speed and turnaround time of transactions.