Motorola says the aviation industry is a prime candidate for radio-frequency identification (RFID), an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. An RFID tag can be stuck on or incorporated into a product, animal, or person for the purpose of identification using radio waves.

Director of RFID business development in aviation for Motorola Pankaj Shukla says that aviation is one of Motorola''s targeted verticals, and it has received a large number of inquiries. Immediately, RFID is a possible solution to the lost luggage problem that costs the airline industry hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

RFID baggage tagging is one of the leading potential applications of RFID in the sector. Airports in Hong Kong and Las Vegas have already started using the technology, in tie-ups with Motorola.

In 2005, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) published a global specification to define exactly what information should be included on a bag''s RFID tag, or license plate. Notwithstanding this, worldwide baggage tagging is still only in the very earliest stages of deployment.

But baggage tagging is just one possible application. There are numerous other RFID applications in aviation, including cargo tagging, tagging of assets on the tarmac, and trolley tagging.

Cargo tagging enables the visibility of goods and freight that are shipped by air. Apart from better supply chain efficiency, cargo tagging also offers security benefits, allowing the industry to readily identify shipments whose integrity may have been compromised.

Tagging tarmac assets, like trailers that cart luggage from the airport to the plane, expands the visibility of tagged luggage beyond the airport. The bags can be tracked in the airport, on the tarmac, and in the plane.

Trolleys — the heavy metal carts that flight attendants use to distribute food, duty free goods, etc — can be tagged to improve asset visibility and inventory management. At present, airlines lack information about the location of all trolleys at any moment, and need to provide for a surplus of the costly items. RFID real-time trolley visibility and locationing can eliminate the excess.

The world''s two largest aircraft manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus, use the technology for their supply chains. US-based Boeing is already an active RFID evangelist. Europe''s Airbus recently announced plans for RFID deployment across its supply chain.

RFID can also be used in maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). Repair and maintenance jobs comprise many sub-processes, including identifying the problem, locating or purchasing the required part, locating the appropriate personnel to execute the repair or replacement, and documenting every step. RFID can streamline and facilitate the MRO process, and help aviation companies bring in ''integrated MRO''. Airplane parts can be tagged, and their maintenance history kept directly on the RFID tags.

Future RFID applications include tagging airport personnel, travellers, and removable airplane inventory like life vests. IATA predicts that when the technology is implemented for baggage tracking alone, the industry''s savings could be more than $700 million annually.