NCAA to introduce real-time luggage tracking at Nigerian airports

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is set to introduce Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to track passengers’ checked-in luggage at Nigerian airports.

The technology will allow passengers to track the location of their luggage in real time, from check-in until arrival at their destination, according to the NCAA.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this on Tuesday, saying the authority had met with domestic airlines, aviation service providers and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in Lagos to finalise plans for the migration to RFID baggage tagging.

Mr Achimugu said the automated system was expected to help address baggage-handling challenges, including misrouted and short-landed luggage, while improving the way passengers’ complaints are resolved.

“This automation technology means that air passengers can track the location of their bags from check-in to arrival at destination, real time,” he said.

How the technology will work

The RFID uses electronic tags that can be read by scanners to identify and track tagged items as they move through different points in a process.

In aviation, the technology can provide more accurate information about the movement of checked luggage through the baggage-handling chain.

According to Mr Achimugu, the planned system will give passengers greater visibility over the movement of their luggage after check-in and help aviation operators identify where problems occur when bags are delayed, misrouted or do not arrive with passengers.

He said the technology was not new globally but would be introduced in Nigeria for the first time.

“Although not novel globally, this is coming to Nigeria for the first time, and its proper implementation would guarantee greater efficiency in baggage handling, complaints resolution, and passenger satisfaction,” he noted.

Why baggage tracking matters

The planned introduction comes against the backdrop of baggage-related complaints from air passengers, including delayed, lost, damaged and misrouted luggage.

Under the NCAA’s existing consumer-protection procedure, dissatisfied passengers are advised to first direct their complaints to the relevant airline or service provider’s Customer Affairs Unit before escalating unresolved cases to the regulator. Lost and damaged baggage are among the complaints handled through the NCAA’s consumer-protection system.

The NCAA’s existing passenger-rights framework also recognises passengers’ rights to compensation for delayed, lost or damaged baggage. The authority’s Part 19 consumer-protection regulations cover passengers’ rights and responsibilities, including compensation for delayed or lost baggage.

The regulator has previously intervened in baggage-related complaints. In February, the NCAA engaged Kenya Airways and affected passengers over compensation following reports of missing iPhones and other valuables from checked-in luggage on the airline’s flights. The authority said it had launched investigations to determine liability and facilitate appropriate resolutions.

The proposed RFID system would introduce a new layer of tracking to this existing baggage-management and complaints process.

With electronic tracking information available at different points in the process, airlines and other service providers could more readily establish where a bag was last recorded when it is delayed, misrouted or fails to arrive with its owner.

The information could also support the investigation and resolution of baggage-related complaints by providing a clearer record of the luggage’s movement from check-in to the destination.

Airlines, FAAN and handlers involved

Mr Achimugu said the meeting in Lagos brought together domestic airlines, other service providers and FAAN as part of efforts to finalise plans for the migration.

The baggage-handling process involves several parties, including airlines, airport authorities and ground-handling companies.

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO), one of Nigeria’s major ground-handling companies, provides services including baggage handling, passenger handling and other aircraft ground services at airports.

This means that effective baggage tracking would require coordination among the different operators involved in moving luggage from check-in through the airport and onto the aircraft.

Mr Achimugu said the relevant agencies had reviewed the proposed technology and examined possible challenges associated with its implementation.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had given approval for the relevant agencies to review the innovation and report back, he said.

“Consultations have been had, possible challenges have been examined, and the general consensus is that all great evolutions must begin from a point,” Mr Achimugu said.

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However, the NCAA official did not provide a specific date for the commencement of the RFID baggage tracking system.

He said further details on the implementation would be announced later.

The planned system is expected to give passengers greater visibility over their checked luggage while providing airlines, airport authorities and ground handlers with additional information to manage baggage movement.

The technology could also help identify where problems occur when luggage is delayed or misrouted, potentially giving service providers more precise information when responding to passengers’ complaints.

Mr Achimugu described the planned migration as a significant development for Nigeria’s civil aviation sector, particularly in improving baggage handling and passenger satisfaction.

“Due to a listening minister, a proactive DGCA, and a vibrant MD FAAN, we are about to witness a new era in civil aviation in Nigeria,” he said.

The initiative remains at the planning and consultation stage, and the NCAA has not announced when the RFID baggage tracking system will become operational.

Its effectiveness will depend on how consistently the technology is deployed across the baggage-handling chain and how airlines, airport operators, handlers and the regulator use the information generated by the system.

For passengers, however, the proposed system could mean more than simply knowing whether a bag has arrived. It could provide a clearer picture of where luggage is during a journey and give airlines and other service providers better information to act when it does not arrive as expected.