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Terminal 3 to have best of technology

Emirates Airline has announced it is partnering with London Heathrow, Dubai International and Hong Kong International airports to try out the latest radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology by Motorola in baggage handling.

It reflects a growing trend among the world’s top airports of investing in information technology to combat congestion and security, according to the fourth Airport IT Trend Survey by SITA.

The Dh2 million investment will be the largest-ever trial with half a million bags on Emirates flights to be tagged over the next six months, an airline Press release stated.

With 58 of the A380 aircraft entering Emirates’ service, each doubling the number of bags handled per aircraft, and the exclusively Emirates Terminal 3 opening this summer planned to handle more than 60 million passengers, the airline is keen to find new ways to improve baggage handling infrastructure.

Dale Griffith, divisional senior vice-president, Airport Services, Emirates, said: “Previous RFID trials by other parties on a smaller scale have shown that the technology almost eliminates scanner ‘misreads’, significantly improving the efficiency of the baggage system and customer experience.

If successful, the results would be shared with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and other airports encouraged to use the technology.

SITA Middle East and Turkey vice-president Hani El Assaad said passenger and baggage processing were the priorities for airports.

“Delays at security, check-in and baggage collection are all touch points which frustrate the travelling public and they are now at the top of the airport IT agenda when it comes to investing in new technologies such as self-service kiosks, remote passenger check-in, fast bag drop-off and biometrics,” El Assaad said.

It is expected that Terminal 3 will take the best of the aviation technology available when it opens later this year.

General Electric Security has announced a $9 million contract with the airport to install their advanced explosives detection systems at Terminal 3.

Contracts have already been announced for the installation of Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) technology at Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central (DWC), which allows pilots to position for the best landing.

QinetiQ’s Tarsier radar system technology, which can detect small items of potentially dangerous debris on airports runways, was bought by Dubai International Airport for two million pounds in 2005.

• UAE