It is no news that airports and airlines are investing in baggage handling technologies to serve passengers better and improve their flight operations as the percentage of flying passengers continues to increase. These are some of the ways that new technologies are aiding in the global refinement of this critical process.
Tracking technology
About 3.5 billion people travelled by plane before the pandemic, resulting in approximately 4 billion bags being handled by baggage handling systems worldwide. Statistics have shown that around 50 million poorly handled bags were in the system a decade ago; however, since then, airlines have implemented bag fees, and the number of passengers and their baggage-service standards has risen.
Today, more than ever, technology that can track luggage while drastically cutting the number of mishandled bags and improving the passenger experience is critical. Airports have embraced the effort by using advanced baggage handling technologies, such as laser or RFID luggage tag readers. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a technique that employs radio waves to detect a tagged object passively. It can easily identify a bag as it moves from baggage check to plane from the plane to baggage claim. Improved tracking also enables airlines to alert passengers of the status of their baggage through their smartphones, which is a massive plus for passengers. When a problem occurs, airline phone baggage tracking can be a lifesaver. Passengers will receive messages from airlines advising them that their baggage will not be waiting for them when they arrive, as well as details on how to file a bag claim, even digitally.
Lifting technology
Vacuum lifters are tools that help with heavy lifting. They are primarily used in the construction industry, automobile, and other sectors that deal with heavy lifting.
The GRABO Electric Vacuum Lifter, for instance, is a cordless suction cup lifting device that operates using an electric vacuum pump to achieve a high level of suction, securing it to almost any surface. GRABO works on rough, porous surfaces (wood, concrete, rock, gypsum boards, natural stone tiles, Plasterboard, checker plate, drain covers, worktops, doors, glass, stone slabs, concrete pavers, flagstones, textured tiles & glass) and other surfaces. While GRABO is an excellent tool for heavy lifting in construction, the vaculex vacuum lifter caters to the pneumatic needs of airlines. The vaculex vacuum lifter is an essential technology that helps reduce hand lifting of in-gauge bags. The vaculex vacuum lifter is used to load and unload bags into Unit Load Devices (ULD) and other containers in a safe and efficient manner. Usually, a handler would lift every item of baggage from a conveyor and manually move it into a ULD container during the baggage make-up process. The vaculex vacuum lifter, on the other hand, essentially eliminates heavy lifting, reducing the danger of manual handling injuries and baggage damage. This results in the equipment being very comfortable to use, and the instant-release means that there are no hooks involved, so there are no handles or straps to locate.
How it works
1.The Vaculex vacuum lifter uses a vacuum to lift and grip the bag. This results in the equipment being very comfortable to use, and the instant-release means that there are no hooks involved, so there are no handles or straps to locate.
2.The vacuum vaculex lifter is mounted to a light aluminium overhead rail system. This enables any work area to be complemented and several units to be installed in one work area. This specially designed light rail system is only 1.3kg/m, which means only one force is required to move the bridge.
Below are a few other innovations that airlines have incorporated into the system.
Biometrics
The incorporation of biometric technology into consumer devices, such as the iPhones, which have face recognition technology, is aiding in getting the general populace familiarized with the technology, which should, in turn, encourage individuals to use it when travelling.
CT walkways
Experts in airline security have proposed transforming CT scanners into ‘CT walkways.' This would replace the existing conveyor belt security system for carry-on baggage. Rather than having to wait for the person in front of you to inspect every inch of their baggage and remove their shoes, belts, and whatnots, CT walkways would be able to identify any suspicious items carried by passengers. It is the most recent checkpoint X-ray scanning equipment designed to improve carry-on baggage threat detection capabilities.
Robotics
At first, the thought of robots in an airport may sound far-fetched, but the world has become increasingly amenable to automation. Robots and other forms of automation have become prevalent in recent years. This is owing to advancements in artificial intelligence as well as design, which have allowed robots to become more adaptable in their jobs at airports. Several airports worldwide employ robots to assist passengers in navigating the airport and getting to where they need to. These robots can also communicate in Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese. Additionally, airport cleaning robots guarantee that the environment is as clean as possible.
Conclusion
The future of airport technology intends to optimize the passenger experience by refining and automating airport operations to assure increased security while causing the least amount of inconvenience to passengers and, of course, reducing the workload on airline workers.