The Federal Government is set to introduce automated baggage tracking across Nigerian airports as part of efforts to tackle the growing cases of delayed, short-landed and missing luggage suffered by air travellers.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is preparing to mandate the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology by airlines operating in the country.
The technology, being developed in collaboration with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other stakeholders, is expected to replace the traditional barcode-based baggage tracking system and provide airlines and passengers with real-time visibility of checked luggage from the point of check-in to the baggage reclaim area.
Daily Trust reports that cases of missing baggage are on the rise in the domestic market.
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In 2024 alone, 47,923 cases of missing baggage belonging to air passengers were either missing or delayed on arrival among local and international airlines across the country's airports.
The proposed system will also include a mobile application that will enable passengers to monitor the movement of their luggage in real time.
Through the application, travellers will be able to track their bags from check-in through the sorting process and loading onto the aircraft, as well as confirm their arrival at the baggage carousel.
Speaking at a stakeholders' engagement forum on Tuesday, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, said baggage-related complaints had remained one of the major challenges confronting air travelers.
Achimugu said the regulator had decided to improve the baggage handling system through automation, with RFID identified as the technology to replace the existing system.
"For many years now, one of the biggest complaints in the industry has been that of baggage. It's either passengers' bags have been short-landed, missing, lost, or destroyed.
"After delayed flights, baggage issues are the biggest problem. So what we've decided to do is improve the system by automating it. The technology we are looking to use now is RFID to replace the current technology being used."
Under the existing barcode system, baggage tags have to be aligned with scanners for the information on them to be read. This can become difficult where tags are twisted, damaged, dirty or obscured.
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The RFID system, however, uses tags containing a microchip and antenna that transmit information through radio waves, allowing scanners to read multiple baggage tags without requiring direct line-of-sight.
The technology is expected to improve the ability of airlines and ground handlers to identify and track luggage at different stages of the journey.
RFID readers installed at strategic points, including conveyor belts and ramp-loading areas, can also help identify misrouted luggage before it is loaded onto an aircraft.
Achimugu said the system would significantly improve the process of locating short-landed or missing baggage.
He explained that existing regulations allow airlines up to seven days to locate and reconcile short-landed baggage for domestic passengers, but the introduction of RFID would make it possible to determine the location of a bag more quickly.
"Standard regulations allow airlines up to seven days to locate and reconcile short-landed baggage with domestic travelers. With RFID tracking, missing or misrouted luggage can be identified and located instantly," he said.
According to Achimugu, passengers will also be able to confirm whether their luggage has been loaded onto their flight even after they have boarded the aircraft.
"Even while you have boarded, you can check to be sure that your bag is on that flight. And if for any unforeseen circumstance your bag has not landed with you, you can tell even without complaining to the airline where your bag is. So when you call to complain, you can tell them specifically, 'I've landed in Lagos, but my bag is in Enugu."
