Aalborg Airport has sent its first RFID sorted baggage
2 June 2010
On June 1, 2010 the new RFID-based baggage sorting system was officially opened by Søren Svendsen, CEO Aalborg Airport, and Andrew Price, Assistant Director Baggage, IATA.
From manual sorting of baggage to fully automated RFID-based sortation
An overwhelming increase in travelers has made it necessary for Aalborg Airport to grow the baggage handling capacity. Before, the baggage sortation was handled manually, but in order to accommodate the increase in routes, it became clear that it needed to be automated. Aalborg Airport had two choices, either barcode or RFID technology. Aalborg Airport chose RFID because of the immediate advantages, but also because this technological platform is able to offer entirely new passenger services. Furthermore, RFID is supported by IATA.
Søren Svendsen, CEO Aalborg Airport states, “We have almost doubled the number of weekly departures over the last two years and it is still growing. First of all, we need a new technology that can help us handle this increase in number of baggage. RFID is the future for baggage handling and will be able to provide us with new possibilities for accurate baggage handling as well as passenger services that we could not provide without it. Step one is to increase our baggage handling capacity, but the RFID technology offers many other possibilities. Therefore, the RFID solution from Lyngsoe will be the platform for a completely new way of thinking and providing passenger services. RFID technology is furthermore supported by IATA, which is very important for us and the industry”.
Andrew Price was the first passenger at the Aalborg Airport to have his baggage sent and sorted by RFID for a two-leg flight. The baggage arrived as planned!
Travel information is in the RFID tag - World news
RFID technology is rapidly developing and even though Lyngsoe has developed and implemented RFID on baggage in three other airports, Aalborg Airport will be the first in the world with sortation information stored in the RFID tag. Making this possible is the 512 bit memory. The larger memory on the tag has 
made it possible to store all necessary sortation data and thus given Lyngsoe the opportunity to develop this next generation RFID on Baggage.
Why choose RFID
- Higher read-rate with automatic reading using RFID resulting in less bags for manual sortation
- RFID reading point is less expensive to purchase and maintain
- Interface between the information system and the airports’ sorting system via a Message Provider is no longer necessary since the sortation information is included in the RFID tag
- Usage fee for Message Provider is consequently also saved
No change at check-in
The check-in procedure will remain the same. A barcode label will still be printed, and travel information will still be registered into the system, allowing the airport you travel to, to receive and sort out the baggage automatically for your next flight (transit baggage). However, if the transit airport can handle RFID for baggage sortation, the barcode is unnecessary. The only new thing that passengers travelling from Aalborg Airport will see is the RFID tag included in the barcode label. The check-in procedure will remain unchanged only with new RFID/barcode Intermec printers. Concurrent with printing the barcode at check-in, the travel information will be stored in the RFID tag, which contains information necessary for sortation to the right flight in Aalborg; for example:
ID number: (“0123456789”)
Flight date: (“ 01JUN”)
Flight data: (“SK1234”)
Baggage routing (“AAL, CPH”)