IT company Unisys has signed a six-year contract with an international airline consortium operating to and from Australia to deliver a Baggage Reconciliation System (BRS).
The deal, signed in Q1 of this year, covers seven international airports at Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns, the Gold Coast, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.
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It is said to be a multi-million dollar contract, though the exact value has not been revealed.
Furthermore, the company will offer fully managed services such as network infrastructure, security architecture, training, end-user device management, onsite support and application management.
Since 2004, Unisys has worked with the Board of Airline Representatives Australia (BARA) to supply the system that connects travellers with their luggage, tracking both along their journeys.
It uses artificial intelligence (AI) for tracing and detecting data breaches for securing the passenger data associated with the luggage.
The system provides a new Android-based interface for the hand-held scanners that are utilised by baggage handlers.
With the help of the BRS, BARA can track the baggage as per IATA’s Resolution 753 on baggage tracking.
After check-in, each bag gets a barcode, which is scanned and integrated with the passenger’s record before being loaded on the aeroplane.
The record of baggage loading order allows fast identification and recovery of luggage in case the passenger misses the flight.
This procedure not only enhances security but also eliminates the chances of passenger and baggage mismatch.
BARA executive director Barry Abrams said: “Passengers expect both their baggage and their personal information to be safe and secure. Likewise, airlines want to be in control and need to track and know the location of a bag to set standards for improved passenger experience.
“Given the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on the airline industry, including international travel restrictions across Australian borders, BARA’s member airlines need a flexible solution that can scale up or down in line with fluctuating passenger demand.”
