Airport and aviation tracking: baggage, GSE and cargo, chosen independently.
For airports, airlines, ground handlers and cargo operators. We design RFID, RTLS and telematics so bags, ground support equipment, ULDs and airside assets are traceable across every handover, and the baggage, departure-control and maintenance systems agree with what happened.
Vendor-neutral, with no platform or hardware of our own to sell. Aircraft maintenance is covered on the aerospace & MRO page.
Aviation programmes fail at the handovers.
Many owners, one bag
Airport, airline and handler each own part of the journey and part of the data. Without agreed ownership of read points and exceptions, the best tags still fail.
Metal and density
Piers, carousels, baggage halls and ULDs are dense and metallic. Lab read rates do not survive them; designs have to be tested in the real hall.
Airside constraints
Airside passes, change windows, radio coordination with airport IT and live operations all shape how and when anything is installed.
Aviation use cases we design for.
Baggage tracking
RAIN RFID bag tags and read points across check-in, sortation, make-up, loading, transfer and arrivals, reconciled to the baggage handling and departure-control systems in line with IATA Resolution 753.
Ground support equipment
Location, utilisation and idle time for tugs, loaders, dollies and belt loaders, feeding maintenance and fleet-sizing decisions.
Cargo & ULDs
ULD and cargo custody through build-up, warehouse, ramp and transfer, so the handover record survives each party.
Terminal assets
Wheelchairs, passenger-assistance equipment, trolleys and high-value terminal assets located and returned to where they are needed.
Airside zones & contractors
Zone access and presence for contractors and staff in restricted airside areas, reconciled with access control.
Tools & FOD
Tool control and FOD prevention on the apron and in the hangar; see FOD prevention and aircraft MRO.
Baggage RFID is established, but far from universal.
RFID tracking is implemented in 27% of surveyed airports and 54% of mega airports, according to an IATA press release, 9 May 2024. For most operators the question is not whether RFID works, but where read points, ownership and integration make it pay back on their own network.
What you gain
Fewer mishandled bags
Read points at each handover show where bags miss a connection, so exceptions are caught before departure. Measured as mishandled-bag rate and transfer success by pier and flight bank.
Faster answers for passengers
Staff can see the last confirmed read for a bag instead of searching. Measured as time to locate a mishandled bag and exception ageing.
GSE you can size
Utilisation and idle data show whether you need more equipment or better positioning. Measured as utilisation by type and stand, and time to find a unit.
ULD and cargo custody
Each handover is recorded against the ULD or shipment. Measured as custody gaps at handover and time to locate a ULD.
Evidence for the business case
Baseline, pilot and steady-state measured on the same definitions, so the board sees your numbers rather than a vendor average.
In an engagement Dylan led before founding TRACIO, a major international airline's baggage RFID programme reported 99%+ end-to-end baggage read visibility and 30–40% fewer mishandled bags, as reported at the time. The client name is withheld under NDA. Read the aviation baggage RFID case study →
How an engagement works in aviation
Gate-governed: no work below the line until the gate above is signed off, and you can stop at any gate and keep the artefacts from that stage.
| Stage | What you get | Typical duration | Indicative fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Discovery & scoping sprint | Use cases, constraints, systems of record, baseline and a go/no-go view | 1–5 days on site | Fixed fee, £3k–£9.5k |
| 2 · Vendor selection & RFP support | Requirements, shortlist, RFP pack, scoring matrix and TCO | 3–6 weeks | Fixed fee, £6k–£19k |
| 3 · Pilot design & oversight | Pilot scope, written pass/fail criteria, acceptance tests and the gate review | 4–10 weeks | Fixed fee + day-rate, £9.5k–£30k |
| 4 · Rollout | Implementation oversight or full programme delivery, if you want it | Per project | SOW, from £30k |
Indicative ranges from How we work & fees. Fees are confirmed in writing after scoping, and exclude hardware, software licences, third-party costs and travel & expenses, which we never mark up because we do not resell them. Calls and engagements are run in English.
What we need from you
- A sponsor and named owners on each side of the handover: airport, airline, handler or cargo operator as relevant.
- Layouts for the piers, baggage halls, stands or cargo areas in scope, and the systems the data must feed (for example BHS, DCS, maintenance or cargo systems).
- Escorted airside access for walkthroughs and RF surveys, planned around your change windows.
- Baseline data you already hold, such as mishandling reports or equipment utilisation, even if it is incomplete.
Frequently asked questions
How widely is RFID used for baggage tracking at airports?
According to an IATA press release of 9 May 2024, RFID tracking is implemented in 27% of surveyed airports and 54% of mega airports. The rest still depend mainly on barcode reads, which leave gaps at transfers and dense piers.
Who owns a baggage RFID programme: the airport, the airline or the handler?
Usually all three, which is why governance matters as much as hardware. We map who owns each read point, each system and each exception before any vendor is chosen, and write that into the RFP and the pilot criteria.
Can you help with ground support equipment (GSE) tracking?
Yes. GSE tracking usually combines GNSS or telematics on the apron with BLE or RFID in stands and depots. We define the utilisation, maintenance and positioning questions first, then select the technology and vendor that answer them.
Do you cover cargo and ULD tracking?
Yes. ULD and cargo tracking often uses BLE or RFID, with readers at build-up, warehouse and ramp handover points. We design for the handovers between parties, because that is where custody is usually lost.
Do you cover aircraft maintenance (MRO)?
Yes. Tool control, FOD prevention and hangar flow are covered on our aerospace & MRO page and the aircraft MRO page.
How long does an aviation engagement take and what does it cost?
It depends on the stage. A discovery sprint is typically 1–5 days on site, vendor selection 3–6 weeks and pilot design and oversight 4–10 weeks. Indicative fixed-fee ranges are on How we work & fees.
Do you sell RFID tags, readers or tracking platforms?
No. TRACIO sells no hardware or software and takes no vendor commission. We write the requirements, shortlist vendors against them, and help you accept what you buy.
Solutions for this industry
Relevant case studies
Related: aerospace & MRO, logistics, passive RFID vs RTLS and vendor selection.
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