Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an extremely powerful enabling technology in airports and aircraft, serving to improve security against criminal attack, safety against general hazards, efficiency, error prevention and data capture and to remove tedious tasks. It can even create new earning streams where it makes tolling feasible without causing congestion and where new airport "touch and go" cards offer new paid services without delays. RFID creates competitive advantage in many ways and in many locations. Managers in the air industry and their suppliers are in danger of being left behind if they are ignorant of the successes and new possibilities of using RFID to improve the air industry. This unique report therefore looks at the broad sweep of work in this area, and gives market sizes, paybacks and forecasts.

Paybacks from RFID in the air industry are typically in the satisfactory 1-2 years range but some paybacks of only months have been reported particularly where new earning streams are created. RFID has been most lucrative when it has been used to change the way of doing business.

Market forecasts 2006-2016

The spend on RFID systems, including tags, exclusively for the air industry (ie omitting passports, visas, general credit and debit cards etc) is included in this report. There is considerable upside potential in these forecasts depending on progress in countries such as China. The forecasts see early rapid growth of baggage tagging which then becomes commoditised at the tag level in 5-10 years, compensation coming from rapid growth of other substantial applications in the later years.

For example, in the later years, up to $60 million may be spent yearly on sophisticated RFID tags for aircraft parts and equipment, with the associated infrastructure and services being a larger figure. The numbers, unit prices and value of the RFID baggage tags alone from 2006-2016 are also given in the report.

The number of RFID baggage tags delivered in 2005 was about 15 million at an average price of 22 cents. In 2004 only a few tens of thousands were used and only in trials. The main airports taking these deliveries were Las Vegas and Hong Kong but there was major trial or rollout activity at Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, Narita Japan and several Korean airports as well.

1. INTRODUCTION

• 1.1. Airports today
  • 1.1.2 Many challenges
• 1.2. What is RFID?
  • 1.2.1. RFID is in many parts of the modern airport already
  • 1.2.2. Everyday RFID -- car clickers, contactless cards
• 1.3. Airport challenges and RFID solutions
• 1.4. Why RFID is pervading airports

2. LEARNING FROM OTHER INDUSTRIES THAT ARE AHEAD IN CERTAIN RESPECTS

• 2.1. Retailing
• 2.2. Postal and courier services
• 2.3. Military
• 2.4. Healthcare
• 2.5. Transport

3. RELEVANT NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN RFID

• 3.1. EPC and the Internet of Things
• 3.2. Cleverer tags
  • 3.2.1. Ultra small tags from Thailand, Malaysia and Japan
  • 3.2.2. UHF tags with advanced antennas
  • 3.2.3. HF tags are most popular and are no longer limited to one meter range
  • 3.2.4. Printed RFID
• 3.3. Cleverer infrastructure and software
  • 3.3.1. Multiprotocol, multifrequency intelligent interrogators
  • 3.3.2. RFID with or on GSM, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, DSRC, UWB, Zigbee
• 3.4. Cost reduction of tags and infrastructure
  • 3.4.1. Tags
  • 3.4.2. Infrastructure, software and support
  • 3.4.3. RFID and Real Time Location Systems RTLS

4. RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS OF NEW CAPABILITY AND INITIATIVES

• 4.1. Passenger processing -- cards instead of tickets?
• 4.2. Baggage handling and the Simplifying the Business program
• 4.3. European Aviation Safety Agency
• 4.4. Border crossing
• 4.5. Ubiquitous Sensor Networks -- developments in Korea, Japan and USA
• 4.6. E-passports and visas
  • 4.6.1. Privacy concerns and delays resulting
  • 4.6.2. Benefits of e-passports to airports
  • 4.6.3. Airlines are a weak link
  • 4.6.4. Simplifying travel
  • 4.6.5. Orders placed
  • 4.6.6. Interesting questions for the future
• 4.7. Integrity of RFID security in cards, passports, visas
  • 4.7.1. Security of RFID smart cards -- the general debate
  • 4.7.2. Encryption
  • 4.7.3. At least as secure as contact cards
  • 4.7.4. Fewer ways in for the criminal
  • 4.7.5. Invasive attacks a concern
  • 4.7.6. Opinion of Cryptography Research
  • 4.7.7. Minority opinions
• 4.8. Holistic view of airports needed

5. 52 CASE STUDIES OF RFID IN AIRPORTS

• 5.1. Baggage
  • 5.1.1. Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, baggage, USA
  • 5.1.2. Seattle Airport SeaTac Terminal, baggage USA
  • 5.1.3. Asiana Airlines, baggage tracking and monitoring, Korea
  • 5.1.4. Auto-ID Laboratory air baggage Hong Kong/ US
  • 5.1.5. British Airways/Heathrow Airport, baggage, UK
  • 5.1.6. Delta Airlines/Jacksonville Airport Authority baggage, USA
  • 5.1.7. Heathrow International Airport baggage collection, UK
  • 5.1.8. Helsinki Vantaa International Airport, baggage, Finland
  • 5.1.9. Hong Kong International Airport, baggage tracking, China
  • 5.1.10. KLM Airline, baggage, The Netherlands
  • 5.1.11. Korea Airports Corporation, Incheon, Gimpo and haneda Airports baggage tracking, Korea
  • 5.1.12. Lan Chile Airlines, baggage, Chile
  • 5.1.13. Singapore Airlines baggage, Singapore
  • 5.1.14. Narita Airport, baggage tags HF, Japan
  • 5.1.15. Narita International Airport, Tokyo Japan, air baggage, UHF, Japan
  • 5.1.16. San Francisco International Airport, baggage USA
• 5.2. Vehicles and trailers -- buses, taxis, cars, GSE etc
  • 5.2.1. Vantaa Airport taxis, Finland
  • 5.2.2. BAA, taxis at Heathrow International Airport Steria System, UK
  • 5.2.3. BAA taxis at Heathrow International Airport, original TransCore system UK
  • 5.2.4. Charles de Gaulle Airport taxis, original system France
  • 5.2.5. Arlanda Airport, employee vehicle parking, Sweden
  • 5.2.6. Dallas Fort Worth Airport International Highway vehicle tolling, USA
  • 5.2.7. Dallas Fort Worth Airport vehicle tolling USA
  • 5.2.8. Delta Airlines, GSE vehicles, USA
  • 5.2.9. Heathrow Airport, GSE vehicle access control, UK
  • 5.2.10. John Wayne Airport, ground traffic USA
  • 5.2.11. Los Angeles and Orange County Airports road tolling, USA
  • 5.2.12. Newark Liberty International Airport, Vehicles, USA
  • 5.2.13. Zurich International Airport baggage wagons, Switzerland
  • 5.2.14. Vienna International Airport GSE vehicles, Austria
• 5.3. Conveyances -- ULDs, trolleys etc
  • 5.3.1. Hong Kong International Airport, food trolley hangers, China
  • 5.3.2. Sepang Airport, food trolleys, Malaysia
  • 5.3.3. KLM food trolleys, Holland
  • 5.3.4. Air Canada, tracking trolleys, Canada
  • 5.3.5. Envirotainer air cargo, Europe
  • 5.3.6. Arlanda Airport baggage pallets, Sweden
• 5.4. Cards, tickets, badges, assets
  • 5.4.1. Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field Airport, access control, USA
  • 5.4.2. Finnair check-in card, Finland
  • 5.4.3. Frankfurt International Airport, assets requiring maintenance, Germany
  • 5.4.4. IATA Airlines, E- ticketing project, worldwide
  • 5.4.5. Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport parking card, USA
  • 5.4.6. Lufthansa frequent flyer card, Germany
  • 5.4.7. Newark Liberty International Airport, Trusted Travelers card, USA
  • 5.4.8. Schonefeld, Tegel and Templehof Airports card access, Germany
  • 5.4.9. Southwest Florida International Airport, access cards, USA
  • 5.4.10. Swissair/Sabena loyalty card, Switzerland, Belgium
• 5.5. Aircraft parts and tools
  • 5.5.1. Airbus A380 parts, Europe
  • 5.5.2. Airbus, aircraft manufacturing tools management, Europe
  • 5.5.3. Airbus, aircraft parts in general USA
  • 5.5.4. Boeing, aircraft parts, item level, USA
  • 5.5.5. Delta Airlines, aircraft parts - item level, USA
  • 5.5.6. FedEx, aircraft parts - item level, USA

6. MARKET FORECASTS 2006-2016

APPENDIX 1: FURTHER READING FROM IDTECHEX

APPENDIX 2: INTRODUCTION TO RFID

APPENDIX 3: EPCGLOBAL AND THE INTERNET OF THINGS

TABLES

• 5.1. Typical RFID Requirements For Air Cargo
• 6.1. The Spend In Millions Of Dollars On Rfid Systems, Including Tags, Immediate Infrastructure, Software And Services Exclusively For The Civil Air Industry, 2006-2016 And The Percentage That Is Baggage Tagging Systems Including Tags
• 6.2. The Value In Millions Of Dollars On Rfid Baggage Tags 2006-2016
• 6.3. Number In Millions Of Global Sales Of Rfid Baggage Tags 2006-2016
• 6.4. Unit Price In Cents Of Rfid Baggage Tags 2006-2016

FIGURES

• 1.1. Distribution of RFID case studies in the civil aviation industry
• 3.1. Symbol Technology dual antenna RFID label at UHF. It is about10 centimeters across.
• 3.2. Figure 3.2 UPM Rafsec "Flag tag" that pops up to look in both directions
• 3.3. KSW Microtec Taurus UHF tag with both short (controlled range) and long range antennas. It is about ten centimeters across.
• 3.4. HF labels used in Maruetsu trials in Japan
• 3.5. Centre - UPM Rafsec UHF label and right - Tagsys HF label for small items, compared with a postage stamp. Both have a range of a few centimeters
• 3.6. Experimental HF printed RFID tags from Poly IC of Germany
• 4.1. The potential applications and timelines for Ubiquitous Sensor Networks in Korea
• 4.2. An ASK RFID tag embedded in a passport.
• 5.1. McCarran International Airport
• 5.2. Current RFID insert for McCarran baggage from Symbol Technologies.
• 5.3. Insertion tag coding
• 5.4. The geometry of insertion in the standard bag tag format
• 5.5. Shrouded reading area on carousel
• 5.6. Current RFID insert for Jacksonville baggage from Symbol Technologies.
• 5.7. Current RFID insert for Hong Kong International Airport baggage from Symbol Technologies.
• 5.8. Smartag HF RFID inserts
• 5.9. Overview of ASTREC
• 5.10. Overview of the hands Free Travel trial
• 5.11. Overview of technical research
• 5.12. SCS tags from the Dura-label range. Length of tag is just 46mm
• 5.13. Card range booster unit
• 5.14. Vehicle Smartcard Reader/Keypad
• 5.15. Smartcard Programmer
• 5.16. Open flow interrogation of tagged vehicles at Los Angeles International Airport, using overhead readers
• 5.17. ID Systems units in action
• 5.18. RFID tagged baggage carrying vehicles
• 5.19. Hong Kong International Airport
• 5.20. Eureka active tag
• 5.21. Operators identify the types of trolley and their content
• 5.22. Operators identify the types of trolley and their content
• 5.23. RFID tagging from FKI Logistex
• 5.24. OTI is a global leader in contactless microprocessor-based smart card solutions
• 5.25. Rockwell Collins Sample Bar Coded Nameplate
• 5.26. Engine turbine blade direct part marking
• 5.27. Boeing and Airbus simplified view of Automated Identification
• 5.28. Automated identification and data capture in practice
• 5.29. Broad airline interest for this RFID program
• 5.30. RFID labels used in the trials
• 5.31. Portable data terminal used in the trials
• 5.32. Air data inertial reference unit RFID tagged in the trials
• 5.33. Flap unit duplex actuator unit RFID tagged in the trials
• 5.34. UHF RFID label used in the trials.
• 5.35. The RFID labels used in this work
• 5.36. The RFID test bed
• 5.37. RFID annunciator control kit tagged with RFID label in the trials
• 5.38. Smoke detector RFID tagged in the trials
• 5.39. Auxiliary hydraulic pump RFID tagged in the trials
• 6.1. Percentage spend on RFID systems including tags exclusively for the civil air industry by application in 2006
• 6.2. Percentage spend on RFID systems including tags exclusively for the civil air industry by application in 2016