Bengaluru: Cargo tracking at Kempegowda International Airport goes hi-tech

Bengaluru: Air India SATS Airport Services (AISATS), which provides service to the airports, has launched a new shipment tracking platform that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for its cargo handling operations at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Bengaluru.

AISATS will now be the first and only air cargo terminal operator in India to bring this RFID technology to the country for real-time and improved cargo tracking. This technological initiative is collaboration between AISATS and its Singapore-listed joint venture stakeholder SATS Ltd.

AISATS air cargo operations at KIA has grown substantially, with 97,486 tones being reached in the first quarter of the current financial year a growth of 16.6 per cent over the same period in the previous financial year.

The RFID tracking system is capable of processing large quantities of cargo and increase speed and accuracy, thereby making the cargo handling process more secure.

RFID technology uses radio waves to transfer data from an electronic reader to an RFID tag and vice-versa. The ground handling staff can use a hand held RFID scanner to scan the shipment pieces at various stages of the cargo handling process.

Once the RFID-tagged shipment is scanned, the RFID-enabled device will send Airway Bill (AWB)-related information to a tracking platform, enabling all stakeholders to undertake real-time, end-to-end cargo tracking.