NCAA to mandate RFID luggage tracking to end airport baggage mismanagement

In a regulatory push to eliminate chronic baggage delays and missing luggage across domestic and international terminals, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is preparing to mandate Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tracking technology across airports nationwide.

The automated system will replace the legacy barcode-centric framework, granting both airlines and passengers real-time visibility of checked luggage from check-in to final reclaim.

Speaking at a stakeholder engagement forum on Tuesday, Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection at the NCAA, emphasised that baggage-related complaints remain one of the most frustrating pain points for Nigerian travellers, secondary only to flight delays and cancellations.

“For many years now, one of the biggest complaints in the industry has been that of baggage—it’s either passengers’ bags have been short-landed, missing, lost, or destroyed,” Achimugu said. “After delayed flights, baggage issues are the biggest problem. So what we’ve decided to do is improve the system by automating it. The technology we are looking to use now is RFID to replace the current technology being used.”

Traditional barcode systems require ground handlers to manually align a laser scanner with a printed paper tag on every piece of luggage. If a tag is twisted, torn, dirty, or obscured, the scanner fails to read it.

RFID tags, by contrast, embed a microchip and antenna that broadcast location data via radio waves. Scanners can instantly read multiple tags simultaneously through containers, baggage belts, and cargo holds without requiring a direct line of sight.

Under the new system, RFID readers mounted on conveyor belts and ramp loaders will automatically flag misrouted items before they enter the hold, preventing operational errors such as loading a bag bound for Kano onto a Lagos-bound aircraft.

“Standard regulations allow airlines up to seven days to locate and reconcile short-landed baggage with domestic travellers. With RFID tracking, missing or misrouted luggage can be identified and located instantly,” Achimugu explained.

A central component of the rollout is a dedicated mobile application designed to put tracking data directly into the hands of travellers.

Through the app, passengers can monitor their bag’s progression in real time, verifying when luggage enters the sorting belt, arrives at the aircraft hold, and reaches the arrival carousel.

“Even while you have boarded, you can check to be sure that your bag is on that flight,” Achimugu added. “And if for any unforeseen circumstance your bag has not landed with you, you can tell even without complaining to the airline where your bag is. So when you call to complain, you can tell them specifically, ‘I’ve landed in Lagos, but my bag is in Enugu.'”

While the technical implementation is being driven in collaboration with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) as the infrastructure owner, the NCAA is currently reviewing civil aviation regulations to make automated RFID tracking compulsory for all airlines operating within Nigerian airspace.

Integration with various airline operating systems is already underway, with the project contract expected to be finalised shortly and operations targeted to commence before the end of the year.

Wole Shadare