An airline has announced it will use smart chips attached to passengers’ luggage to make sure belongings do not go missing.
Delta Airlines, based Atlanta, said it will use Radio Frequency Identification chips placed on travellers’ bags to track their location.
Baggage handlers will be able to identify each bag from a distance from a chip placed inside a paper tag on baggage.
Under the new system, conveyer belts will have sensors that flash a green light if the suitcase is on track to the correct plane and a red light if not, meaning a handler can redirect it.
In April Delta unveiled a $50 million investment to overhaul its existing barcode bag tracking system.
The airline is hoping the new system will help to tackle the problem of lost luggage.
Airlines spend thousands of pounds each year replacing passengers’ belongings when they go missing en route.
The airline’s existing system involved the scanning of individual barcodes on each piece of baggage.
Aviation expert Brett Snyder said, “The airlines have been doing better in general when it comes to mishandled bags, but this is going to help significantly,” according to NBC News.
He added, “Things really go off the rails when you have storms and you have bags scattered everywhere. Over the past few years, you’ve seen airlines going behind the scenes to focus on better operating and handling.” The RFI technology has been around for decades and was developed during the Second World War to help distinguish between friendly and enemy aircraft.
The technology is already used in the hotel industry to keep track of towels and linens, in libraries and even in nursing homes for vulnerable patients who may be at risk of getting lost. Earlier this year a separate airline revealed an enormous 40,000 pieces of checked baggage missed their planes. American Airlines vice president said airport security delays were to blame for the luggage delays.