3. RFID use cases in the airline industry

3.1 Closed loop applications

RFID is not a new technology in air transport. It has been used in closed-loop baggage and cargo handling for 20 years. The notion of a closed loop means that identification only concerns a very small number of players, and is used locally.

Low- or high-frequency RFID tags (125 kHz or 13.56 Mhz) are commonly inserted in the bins used to convey baggage through certain sorters. The RFID tag's function is to identify the bin and enable tracking of the baggage, whose tag has been read by an automatic or manual barcode scanner.