Delta is deploying Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) baggage tracking technology across its system, including between Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The move will provide Nigerian customers with improved real-time tracking of luggage throughout the travel experience.
Delta remains the only U.S. carrier to operate nonstop service between Nigeria and the United States offering hundreds of onward connecting opportunities via Delta’s Atlanta hub.
RFID will replace barcode hand scanning – the industry standard since the early 90s. With this new technology, scanners use radio waves to capture highly accurate and consistent data stored on an RFID chip embedded in the luggage tag, driving superior tracking and increased transparency.
With RFID, customers will see their bags on and off the aircraft during their journey via push notifications to the Fly Delta mobile app beginning in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Commenting on the development, Bobby Bryan, commercial manager for West and East Africa, Delta Airlines, said, “RFID is another example of our investment in the Nigerian marketplace. It offers customers clear visibility of their checked bags and will set a new standard for more transparent, interactive tracking on the Fly Delta mobile app. Delta’s daily nonstop flight between Lagos and Atlanta has gone from strength to strength and we continue to be focused on offering the best experience for our customers.”
Better baggage handling processes and enhanced technology have already shrunk the airline’s mishandled bag rates by 68 percent over the past 10 years, establishing Delta as the leading U.S.-based global airline for baggage performance. In 2015 Delta led U.S. global airlines in DOT bag performance while setting six monthly DOT records and a full year record.
Delta operates the flights between Lagos and Atlanta with Boeing 767 aircraft with up to 208 seats featuring 36 business seats in Delta One, 35 seats in Comfort Plus and 137 in its main economy cabin.
Delta Airlines serves nearly 180 million customers each year. In 2016, Delta was named to Fortune’s top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the fifth time in six years.
Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented five consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 337 destinations in 62 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft.
The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry’s leading transatlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground.
