Application of RFID Technology in Airport Baggage and Cargo Transportation

In modern air transportation, baggage and cargo management is a critical component of airport operations. Billions of pieces of baggage are handled globally each year, and the problems of mishandled, lost, or delayed baggage continue to plague airlines and passengers. While widely used, traditional barcode scanning methods suffer from limitations such as short scanning range, low efficiency, and susceptibility to obstruction. This places enormous pressure on manual sorting, especially during peak hours. With the rapid development of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and the widespread adoption of information technology, RFID, as a powerful data management and process tracking technology, is deeply integrated into security screening processes, significantly improving security screening efficiency, reliability, and traceability.

Compared to traditional barcodes, RFID tags, particularly ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID tags, offer significant advantages.

Batch, long-range, and automatic identification: No line of sight is required, and readers can simultaneously read hundreds of tags within a few meters, significantly increasing throughput.

Strong environmental tolerance: Resistant to contamination, high and low temperatures, and physical damage, they are suitable for demanding airport operating environments.

Dynamic data read/write: Information can be updated at any time (e.g., security status and location), becoming a mobile "data carrier." Uniqueness and Anti-Counterfeiting: Each tag has a unique ID, making it extremely difficult to forge, ensuring the security and reliability of the security management chain.

Large Data Capacity: It can store significantly more information than a barcode.

Air cargo security and passenger check-in processes are lengthy, involve multiple steps, and involve complex responsibilities. RFID technology can be integrated into the entire cargo and passenger baggage security process, enabling seamless, visual control throughout the entire process.

Air Cargo Security

1. Tag Binding and Initiation

At the time of cargo acceptance, an active or passive RFID tag is attached or mounted on each piece of cargo or unit load device (ULD, such as a container or pallet). This tag is linked to the air waybill (MAWB/AWB) and contains basic cargo information (shipper, consignee, product name, etc.).

2. Security Process Tracking

Entering the Security Inspection Area: When cargo passes through a gate equipped with an RFID reader, the system automatically records the cargo as "entered the inspection area" and updates its status. Security Inspection Result Association: After cargo passes through security inspection equipment such as X-ray machines and CT scanners, the operator enters the inspection result (passed, failed, pending inspection) into the system. The system automatically writes this result to the RFID tag.

Security Inspection Labeling: For cargo that passes security inspection, the printed "Air Cargo Security Inspection Anti-Counterfeiting Label" can itself be an RFID tag, or it can be linked to existing RFID tag information.

3. Warehousing and Diversion
Automated Sorting: Sorting lines equipped with RFID readers can automatically identify cargo destinations and security inspection status, automatically diverting inspected and uninspected cargo to different areas (such as "inspected area" and "quarantine area").
Inventory Counting and Location: Workers using handheld RFID readers can quickly inventory warehouse goods and accurately locate specific items without having to open boxes and search.

4. Handover and Loading
At every stage of the cargo process, from leaving the warehouse to being delivered to ground handling personnel and finally loading onto the aircraft, scanning with portal or handheld readers automatically records the handover time and responsible party, and verifies the cargo's security inspection status, effectively preventing missed inspections or misloading.

Checked Baggage Security Inspection

1. Check-in Binding
When a passenger checks in, the airline's baggage system prints an RFID luggage tags. This tag contains a chip that stores key information such as the bag number, flight number, destination, and passenger name.

2. Security Inspection Result Binding
After the baggage undergoes X-ray inspection in the back-end security inspection system, the security inspector determines the result.
The system binds the inspection result (passed/suspect) to the bag's RFID information and stores it in a central database.

3. Baggage Sorting and Interception
When the baggage sorting system's RFID reader reads the bag tag information, it not only identifies the destination but also obtains the bag's security inspection status. If a piece of baggage's security check status is "suspicious" or "failed," the system automatically sorts it to the baggage inspection area instead of loading it directly onto the aircraft. Staff can view the interception reason on a handheld terminal, efficiently and accurately locating the problematic baggage for re-inspection.

4. Full Tracking
Passengers and airport staff can use a mobile app or tracking system to obtain real-time information on the location of their checked baggage (e.g., "Inspecting," "Passed," "Loading"), similar to tracking a courier. This improves the passenger experience and reduces baggage anxiety.

RFID technology effectively improves security check reliability, eliminating errors caused by manual judgment and paper labels. It ensures that the "Inspected" status is absolutely tied to the cargo/baggage, preventing uninspected cargo from being loaded onto the aircraft. It also improves operational efficiency, enabling batch, long-distance automated scanning to reduce manual scanning time and accelerate the flow of cargo and baggage through the security check process. It also enhances traceability and enables comprehensive, no-obstacle data recording. Once a security incident occurs, all links, time points and operators that the cargo/baggage has passed through can be quickly traced; resource allocation is optimized. Through real-time data, management can clearly see the bottlenecks in the security inspection process (such as which link has serious backlogs), so as to scientifically allocate personnel and equipment resources. Finally, it can greatly improve the user experience for passengers. Passengers can track checked luggage in real time, improving customer satisfaction.