Dubai International Airport Dxb

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Chapter 1

Introduction

The 21st century has experienced massive changes and growth in several fields of the world economy. International trade, communication, technology, financial services, manufacturing, and other fields of business have recorded immense growth. To this end, competition is cutthroat as businesses become global and multinational conglomerates dictate business trends. In this regard, international transport, both human and commodity, has immensely increased. The number of ships, airlines, cross-border railways, international highways, and other forms of transport are recording immense volumes of transportation. Such colossal volumes create identification and tracking headaches for businesses as they strive to meet the needs of the customers. Commodities in transit tend to get lost in huge piles of baggage, creating a nightmare for both the client and the business.

In the past, several technologies have been used to identify and track baggage. One such technology has been the use of a bar code system, a collection of unique numbers that identifies the specific baggage. While this technology may be effective in identifying items, it was found wanting when it comes to tracking.

To solve this, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has been introduced as a means of solving both the identification and tracking requirements. The RFID system is composed of two basic units, the tag and the receiver unit. The tag is a device that contains a small, inexpensive, programmable memory chip and a transponder unit that is attached to the commodity to be transported. The chip is a memory unit that contains unique information regarding the baggage, and the transponder transmits that information to a receiver. Hence, when the baggage or commodity passes through a magnetic reader, the information regarding the baggage is captured and retrieved via the transponder. This information not only identifies what the baggage is and who the owner is, but it also provides information regarding where the baggage has originated (Garfinkel, Juels, & Pappu, 2005).

The receiver unit is composed of an interrogator which emits a signal that activates the transponder. Once the transponder has forwarded data to the interrogator, the receiver unit has an inbuilt decoder that translates the data and relays it in a manner that can be understood.

The RFID concept has since become the preferred tracking technology for most shipments. However, the technology has not been implemented in consumer goods found in stores. This is because tags are still comparably expensive when it comes to consumer goods. Huge shipments such as shipping containers have employed RFID technology as international sea ports have increased their annual luggage capacities. In the aviation industry, much controversy surrounds the use of RFID technology. Some airlines are finding it expensive to introduce, while leading airlines are introducing RFID with a competitive edge in mind. There are also social issues that surround the implementation of RFID. These social issues range from human tracking to tracking baggage even after it has left the airport. Opponents of RFID technology argue that such tracking infringes on privacy and should therefore not be used in any of its forms. While the above argument may be true, RFID provides unrivalled efficiency in handling goods in transit.

History

Roberti (2011) explains that RFID technology has been in use for quite a few years now. It is noted that RFID technology was employed in the Second World War in order to identify enemy gunships and fighter planes. In 1980, RFID tags were used to identify military equipment. Garfinkel et al. (2005) assert that recent growth can be attributed to the rise of invasive commerce. In this way, businesses make use of RFID technology to track movement of commodities and by extension understand consumer behavior. These businesses are able to do this by embedding smart readers and transmitters onto commodities in order to track them over a wider distance using a networked system to gather data from different locations. This information provides businesses with a clearer view of which consumers prefer what commodity. This allows businesses to align their production with consumer preference.

Uses of RFID

As previously mentioned, RFID was first used in warfare to discern friend from enemy. Similarly, the military used the RFID system during the cold war era to identify, manage, and track nuclear weapons. Today, there are several applications of RFID, which may include:

Supermarkets and retail stores use RFID to manage inventory, equipment, and staff.

Airports and airlines use RFID to manage staff, passengers, and baggage.

Hospitals have used the technology to manage equipment, inventory, and staff.

Manufacturing businesses have used RFID to manage inventory and employees.

The military uses the technology to track and monitor personnel and dangerous material such as nuclear weapons.

Advantages of RFID

One of the greatest advantages of RFID tags is the ability to track consumer goods right from the manufacturer to the point of sale. In general, most goods are produced in foreign nations and shipped to destination countries. However, due to a lack of tracking systems, some goods are lost during transportation, and this is a huge loss for businesses. RFID will give such businesses the opportunity to track shipments.

Another advantage of RFID is the ability to decode past information regarding where a person or goods have been. Such historical information is important in providing crucial information regarding past occurrences.

The third advantage is that RFID is automated technology that does not require a human being to actively read it, as the bar code system does. Therefore, it eliminates the human error element in tracking and managing movement of goods.

Disadvantages of RFID

In general, RFID can be dangerous technology if not properly managed. For instance, if RFID is embedded in shoes or clothing, such pieces of clothing can be used to track the movements of an individual around the world. Such tracking highly invades the privacy of an individual without that individual’s knowledge or consent. Such tracking may also be a dangerous security risk for individuals.

Emirates Airlines

The airline industry is one of the most rapidly growing industries in the world. As international commerce has rapidly increased, so has the airline industry. Asia, in particular China, India, South Korea, Singapore, the Arabian Gulf, and Malaysia, has spurred growth. The United Arab Emirates has also experienced immense growth, and Emirate Airlines is right in the middle of this growth.

Emirates Airlines is the biggest airline in the Middle East with more than two thousand flights per week. The airline prides itself on a 50,000 staff base and long-range flights (emirates.com, 2008).

The airline started off as a business of necessity. The company website explains that in the mid-1980s, the top airline at the time, Gulf Air, reduced flight services into Dubai. Thus, the royal family in Dubai decided to invest in a new airline, and in March 1985, emirates airlines started operating (emirates.com, 2008).

The airline has since registered rapid growth, becoming one of the biggest purchasers of aircrafts. It prides itself on a long-range fleet of both Boeing and Airbus aircrafts. In its hangers are the dream liners Boeing 777 and the magnificent Airbus A380. Such immense growth and investment has led the airline to be a major player in the airline industry. emirates.com (2008) confirms this by asserting that in 2011, the airline was the fourth largest airline in the world. This success has been attributed to excellence in in-flight service and consistent profits. The company expects to receive an order of 90 Airbus A380 aircraft by 2017. This is the single largest purchase of passenger aircrafts in aviation history securing, its future in the aviation industry.

Dubai International Airport "DXB"

Dubai is one of the seven emirates making up the United Arab Emirates and one of the fastest developing locations in the globe. At the center of this development is the Dubai International Airport, referred to as DXB in the aviation world. The airport is the biggest aviation hub in the Middle East, handling 65% of all passengers travelling through the Middle East. The airport handles over 130 airlines that make about six thousand flights per week (emirates.com, 2008). Home to emirate airlines, DXB has committed an entire terminal to the airline.

Dubai International Airport sits about 4km north of central Dubai and handles over 50 million passengers annually. Similarly, it is also the sixth busiest airport in terms of cargo, handling slightly over 2.2 million tons annually.

The airport is an important economic establishment in the UAE. The airport provides over 58,000 jobs with hundreds of thousands of indirect employment opportunities. With rapid growth in international tourists visiting Dubai, the airport forecasts that by 2017, it will handle three times the number of passengers visiting today. Similarly, as China and the rest of Asia lead the world in economic growth, Dubai is seeking a more central role as the linkage between the Far East and the rest of the world. Cargo haulage is set to increase at incredible rates. Dubai international airport is constantly looking to expand in order to meet its future needs. A second airport that seeks to complement DXB is Al Maktoum International Airport.

Problem Statement

With the recent rise in terrorism, drug smuggling, and huge numbers of passengers and cargo, Dubai International Airport and Emirates Airlines are looking to turn to RFID technology. While the concept of RFID may be both timely and necessary, several pertinent issues impact the implementation of RFID at both DXB and Emirates airlines. This research reviews the controversial issues surrounding RFID implementation. The result of this research is to establish whether implementing RFID will be beneficial to DXB and Emirates Airlines.

The reason RFID is the preferred technology for the airline and the airport is the ease with which the technology improves management and efficiency. The technology could be used to manage both cargo and passengers. With increasing volumes of baggage, the cost of monitoring such luggage has kept increasing as well. This cost is draining company resources and leading to continually diminishing efficiency. A shift to RFID would help the airline and DXB to become the leading airline and location, respectively, in terms of efficiency in handling both passengers and luggage.

Benefits of RFID to Emirates Airlines

Emirates airlines has been experiencing an increasing number of passengers and by extension baggage. In addition, with the introduction of Boeing Dreamliners and Airbus A380, airlines have to find a means of bettering their passenger and baggage handling efficiency. With the introduction of RFID technology, Emirates Airlines will shift its business efficiency to new heights.

Furthermore, the airline has been experiencing increasing numbers of barcode misreads, and tracing such lost baggage has been a headache. The airline finds such baggage and, at its own cost, ships the baggage to the customer’s preferred destination. RFID provides effective tracing mechanisms, and the number of such mistakes will be greatly reduced.

Benefits to DXB

There are several advantages that DXB would accrue by implementing RFID technology. Some of the advantages include:

Security: RFID has the advantage of tagging both employees and baggage, and the chips contain information about the state and the location of the subjects. This provides effective security management throughout the entire airport. The tags may also be used as security keys for staff, hence managing the movement of both staff and passengers.

Managing Equipment: RFID chips could also be used on equipment and other important airport tools. The technology will provide better equipment management for the airport.

Situational Analysis

In February 2008, Emirates Airlines announced its first trials with RFID. The airline was to partner with London’s Heathrow, DXB, and Hong Kong International Airport in testing early uses of RFID technology (emirates.com, 2008).

The airline in partnership with DXB and the other airports was going to invest nearly AED 2 million in the technology. The airline was targeting nearly half a million bags over a six-month period. According to Emirates Airlines, RFID not only helps the airline run the business more effectively, but it also gives customers some peace of mind knowing that their baggage is properly and securely handled.

Premise

This research is based on RFID and the different aspects and the challenges that come with implementing RFID technology both at the Dubai airport and at Emirates Airlines. This paper will explore the different aspects regarding RFID technology, its current applications and the need for the technology at the airport. This paper will delve into the advantages that will accrue upon adopting RFID technology.

Definitions

Decoder- device translating radio waves to data.

DXB- Dubai International Airport

RFID- Radio Frequency Identification technology

RFID chips- programmable silicon devices that hold subject information.

Transponder- transmitter devices that emit radio waves with subject information.

Delimitation

One of the main limitations is the lack of resources to perform live tests of the different versions of RFID technology. Thus, for the purpose of results and recommendations, this research will rely on scholarly works and case studies on the same. Another limitation that is likely to hamper the project is the time constraints required to evaluate the entire project. Implementing RFID at an international airport and such a massive airline will have several impacts over a long period of time. This project may not have sufficient time to evaluate the challenges and results of implementing RFID.

Chapter 2

As previously mentioned, Radio Frequency identification (RFID) technology was first introduced during the Second World War. After the Second World War, An engineer named Harry Stockam published a report arguing that it was possible to power a mobile transmitter by directing radio waves towards the transmitter (Roberti, 2011). A separate identification device that used radio waves was patented in 1979. Since that time, considerable progress has been reported in RFID technology, and this has resulted in extremely advanced versions of the technology.

In order to understand how this technology works, it is important to understand the different elements of RFID.

Elements of RFID technology

RFID Technology is made up of four parts:

RFID tag

RFID reader

Antenna and radio Characteristics

Computer network or database

RFID Tags

The Tag is a primary element in RFID technology. This tag is made of two elements, an antenna and a small silicon chip. The chip contains a control logic that allows programming, some memory capabilities, a radio receiver, and a modulator that will send back a signal. The tag also contains a power unit that is used to turn up the chip and the antenna. There are two ways of achieving a powering unit for the tag. One of these ways is to have the power system completely powered by the incoming RFID signal; therefore, the tag is always off until a signal is directed at the tag. These tags are referred to as passive tags. The second way is that the tag can be powered by having an internal battery system that will have the tag powered. This second kind of tag is referred to as an Active Tag (Roberti, 2011).

Active tags have more advantages than passive tags. For instance, they are readable from a much longer distance and are also reliable. Garfinkel and Holtzman (2005) state that active tags are readable up to a distance of 100 feet and that in some tags, the distance could increase considerably. However, active tags are expensive and large compared to passive tags. Passive tags are cheaper and smaller in size because they do not have inbuilt batteries.

Readers

The RFID reader is the second element of RFID technology. It is a device that sends a radio frequency signal to the tag and receives the response from the tag. This energy is meant to activate the tag, so when such energy is sent, the tag is activated and responds by sending the information contained in the silicon chip. The radio pulse generated by the reader performs one or more tasks depending on the tag. While in some tags, the Radio pulse simply activates the silicon in order to be read, in other tags the radio pulse could include commands such as passwords or read-write commands.

Antenna and Radio

RFID technology relies on a radio to emit the required RF pulse and an antenna to receive the RF pulse. The energy in the radio pulse relies on the frequency of the oscillation and the power of the signal. The frequency spectrums which are used by RFID technology systems are low in terms of power. The commonly applied spectrums for most businesses are in the range of 125–134.2 KHz.

Network

The main concept of RFID technology is to identify commodities, baggage, and humans for several purposes. For this reason, RFID technology uses a database and a network that hold the identification figures. Ideally, the identification figures are a group of long numbers unique to the particular product.

The computer or network system does whatever application has been coded along with the RFID tag. For example, RFID tags can be used to control the movement of employees or customers within a particular location. In this case, once the reader has forwarded the data to the computer, the computer compares the RFID tag numbers and the access control lists in its databases. The presence or absence of the RFID number in the list will help to determine whether or not to grant access (Roberti, 2011).

Applications

There are several uses for RFID technology these days, and these may include the following:

Automobile immobilizers: RFID technology can be used as a security tool in automobiles where lack of the right RFID tag immobilizes the steering column.

Animal tracking: Scientists rely on RFID technology to track endangered animal species in order to keep them safe

Payment systems: RFID can be used to store credit card account numbers and other financial information, replacing credit card technology.

Inventory management: RFID technology has largely been employed in tracking inventory and particular products.

RFID technology has several applications that can be useful at DXB and Emirates Airlines, including:

Identifying and tracking of passenger luggage: this has been one of the leading reasons for implementing RFID technology.

The Airport may depend on the technology to identify and grant access to staff.

Passengers may also have temporary tags at the airport in order to restrict their movements.

Recent testing phase carried out by Emirates Airlines

In February 2008, Emirates Airlines announced its first trials with RFID. For this reason, the airline was to partner with London’s Heathrow, DXB, and Hong Kong international Airport in testing early uses of RFID technology (emirates.com, 2008). The testing phase was to include tagging passengers’ bags and comparing the read results with the current barcode system in use. The airline is seeking to replace the barcodes with UHF EPC Gen 2 tags on luggage coming from Heathrow and Hong Kong International Airport (O'Connor, 2008).

The airline, in partnership with DXB and the other airports, was going to invest nearly AED 2 million in the technology. The Heathrow airport at London and the Hong Kong international airport were to provide testing as they are the most frequent destinations for Emirates Airlines (O'Connor, 2008).

The airline targeted nearly half a million bags over a six-month period. This decision was informed by the introduction of 58 new Airbus A380 aircrafts in its fleet. This move is expected to double the number of bags that the airline will be handling. According to the airline, RFID not only helps it run the business more effectively, but it also gives customers some peace of mind knowing that their baggage is properly and securely handled.

Implementation Challenges

Garfinkel and Holtzman (2005) assert that the use of RFID technology is not only within the requirements of current technology trends, but also the most reliable concepts as we progress towards increased international trade and human traffic. It is a matter of time before all airlines and airports fully shift to RFID technology. Therefore, as Emirates airlines and the Dubai International Airport, there are several challenges issues that should be addressed.

Clear reasons for use

Any implementation of RFID technology must first identify the business objectives for investing in such technology (Alien Technology, 2007). The project must also identify and set standards for success. Implementing RFID technology in the airline and DXB require a review of previous cases for a similar implementation.

Choice of tag:

Implementing a successful RFID technology will be influenced by getting the right tags. The choice of the proper tags is quite important and this decision will rely on several factors including the cost, the size, and the performance (Alien Technology, 2007). However, there has been remarkable progress in tag development and the tags now are much smaller, efficient, and cheaper.

Tag placement and orientation:

The success of implementing RFID technology will also depend on the tag placement (Roberti, 2011). While the technology may have been well thought out, simple thing such as tag placement may impact the success of the project. Tag placement should be done in such a way that it provides the best exposure for reader to access the antenna.

Configuration of readers for the right of application:

RFID technology has several applications and these applications rely on configuring the readers which should give the correct data for the application. While some readers are just basic in term of getting the RFID serial numbers, other readers are highly optimized to read more than that (Roberti, 2011). DXB and the Emirate airlines have to configure the readers to provide sufficient information for the expected application.

Chapter 3

Benefits of RFID to the Airline Industry

There are many benefits that could happen to any airlines by implementing RFID technology. The main areas that airlines may apply RFID in are human and luggage identification.

Airlines can use RFID technology to tag flight passengers. One of the popular types of tags that can be used are tags that look like workplace tags. These tags are very similar to identification cards, the tags will be held by the passengers through the entire trip.

RFID tags will be effected in cases when the flights have to make en-route stopovers or flight connections. Therefore some of the benefits of using RFID for passengers include:

Efficient identification of the passengers when a case of stopover or aircraft change is taking place. The staff will use handheld readers to locate passengers and get them to the correct location easily.

RFID technology may also provide a centralized control of large aircraft such as the Airbus A380. Aircrafts like Airbus A380 with the capacity of almost 500 passengers may have passenger management problems. RFID technology will allow the staff to know the location of all passengers on board and manage their movements in the aircraft.

Also, the airlines will implement RFID technology to identifying and tracking passengers’ luggage and cargo for shipment. One of the greatest challenges in the airlines industry is efficient and effective management of cargo and passenger luggage.

Airlines are facing some problems because of the barcode system which is slow and not good as RFID technology. Thus, some of the benefits that will happen to Emirates Airlines in terms of cargo and luggage include:

Effective and efficient cargo and luggage handling systems: RFID technology can identify the luggage without having to physically move the luggage. Also, a different team could be working and planning how such baggage will be loaded on to the aircraft. This data may be sent to handheld devices used by the loading staff.

Tracking: RFID technology will allow the airlines to know where the lost cargo within the airport is or use the networks to locate cargo that has been shipped to a wrong destination.

Security: due to enhanced tracking capabilities, RFID technology will provide enhanced security. The airlines will be able to identify suspected luggage and follow the source.

RFID at Airports

The implementation of RFID technology will also include the use of the technology within the airport. Just as the airlines, the airport could use RFID technology in identification of the people and cargo.

The airport will use RFID tags to identify employees as well as the passengers within the airport. In human identification, RFID technology could use different tags for different individuals inside the airport. The airport employees could use passive tags in order to provide access to restricted locations.

RFID technology can use a database of employees as an access control list (ACL). Therefore, when an employee got close to a door, the tag is activated by readers located at the door. Once the reader has got the information of the tag, it compares the information to the ACL in the database and grants or denies access.

With RFID technology, the airport will get some advantages and benefits include the following:

Control and security: RFID technology allows the airport to manage staff movement. The technology could be supported by Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Systems to provide better security and protection for the airport.

Controlling passengers movements: RFID technology will ensure that passengers are being within the allowed areas of the airport.

Problems Associated with RFID Technology

While RFID technology may appear to be a reliable and efficient technology in airports and airlines industry, some people have other opinions about this technology.

One of the main problems that associated with the RFID technology is the cost of the RFID technology. RFID tags and readers are expensive comparing to the current barcode systems. Implementing RFID technology for use at the airport will require large initial investments in the following areas:

Specialized tags for use within the airports.

Specialized readers that can perform required applications.

Training the employees on RFID card use.

Extensive and time consuming test sessions.

These areas with the high cost of chips and readers will make RFID technology quite expensive comparing to the current technology, which is barcode system.

The following problem associated with RFID technology is the health issues. Experts have warned that active tags constantly produce electromagnetic waves, which is may be dangerous in terms of human health (Roberti, 2009).

Privacy is the third issue associated with the RFID technology. The use of RFID tags will impact the airport employees. With the ability to track all the employees within the airport, the employees will be under constant surveillance and will put them in a strict working without any sense of freedom, which may reflect on their loyalty.

 

Chapter 4

Findings

The United Arab Emirate has the opportunity to be the world leading airlines and destinations in terms of air travel. To win this great opportunity, the DXB and Emirates Airlines have no choice other than to accept and use RFDI technology. For this reason, several Implements should be considered in order to determine the best way to use this technology and how to deal with the privacy issues, which is associated with the RFID technology.

A private network

The current RFID systems are using EPC network, which is a global network that is accessible with all RFID tags. The concept of this network is making problems of privacy for manufacturers, because they will be in a position to track their products around the consumer base. However, for the airlines business, the idea of joining a global network is not necessary because of security threats. The information, such as flight information for both cargo and passengers are extremely important. Airlines and any airport have the responsibility of ensuring the safety and the privacy of their passengers and cargo.

Therefore, it is necessary for the airlines to develop and implement a secure private network. RFID technology is preferred over the other systems due to its ability to hold information over a network in the real time. As a result, while a network is essential, it is important that the network belongs to the airline and can be accessed by authorized people only. Therefore, the DXB in a partnership with Emirates airline have to develop new distributed networks in its entire destinations to handle the RFID system.

Active Tags

Implementation of RFID technology at the airport and at Emirates airlines should use active tags because the tags will be used for a short period of time. The airlines industry deals with passengers, baggage and cargo for a limited time and in most cases, not more than 24 hours. For that reason, active tags are preferred over passive tags.

Blockers

The biggest problem with RFID technology is the privacy breaches due to unauthorized reading of the tags even after use. One of the solutions is killing the tags after leaving the airlines and the DXB. While this solution can be handled, another problem may be occurred which is the possibility of unauthorized reads before leaving the airport or unsuccessful kills of the RFID tag.

To solve this problem, the RFID blockers should be implemented. The RFID blocker is an additional unit developed along with the RFID tag. The blocker works by allowing only an encrypted signal to activate or read the tag. The blocker should be designed in a way that allows the authorized reader to access the tag.

Efficient and effective working

The implementation of RFID technology at DXB and at the Emirate Airlines will impact the working efficiency and effectiveness. Efficiency is supported by quick identification of the baggage as well as the passengers.

The loading time for cargo will be reduced almost 50%. Further efficiency will be noted in locating the different cargo in different locations. Once the cargo arrives at the destination, the RFID information on the tag will be stored in the Airlines private network. Therefore, it should be easy for authorized people to have information about the location of any cargo or luggage.

The operations at the airport will achieve increase in working effectiveness. The RFID technology provides the ability to know the location of staff as well as passengers. The tags will be used to locate and grant access to different users of the airport. Such effective management will save time and resources for the airport.

Recommendations

The development of the RFID system is acceptable, and the RFID technology is effective with unlimited potential. However, there is a need to standardize the operations, type of information, and aspects of privacy before and after using the RFID. As a result, this will lead to develop RFID policies, which direct the RFID technology.

The policies must state the right for passengers and users of the airport to know that they are under RFID technology.

The passengers must know how the RFID tags will be deactivated.

The policies should notify the passengers what kind of information is held at the RFID tag.

The policies should also include a clear explanation about who is using the data.

The information should be secured.

These policies will provide a plan for the business. It will guide the company in legal and other aspects of normal operations.

Conclusion

Many businesses are investing in RFID technology due to its benefits. Consumer products, shipping businesses and other types of businesses have adopted RFID technology due to effective and efficient way of operations it provides. It provides both identities of products as well as a historical recording of its movements. This is a great advantage comparing to the barcode systems.

The recommendation to implement an RFID system at Dubai International Airport and Emirates Airlines is critical for the future of both the airport and the airlines. The technology will replace the barcode system due to inefficient and ineffective operations of the barcode system. The RFID technology should be implemented in three particular areas. The first area of use is identifying cargo in the Emirates Cargo Division. The idea is to tag the cargo with active tags, identify the cargo, send that information to handheld devices and load that data to a private network owned by the company.

The second area is identifying passengers within the airport and at locations which are handled by Emirates Airlines. It allows a much faster and easier identification of the passengers and provide their locations.

The third area is at the airport for identifying the staff and tracking them. The tags will provide employee identification, locations, and grant access to restricted areas.

To implement the RFID technology at two commercially related business units, it requires ultimate cooperation from the two units. Moreover, the airport and the airlines have to implement technology at the same time.

DXB and Emirates Airlines have a chance to test and implement the technology. The airlines has also succeeded to get the Heathrow and Hong Kong International Airport to evaluate the performance of RFID technology. The technology is expected to increase working performance of the DXB and Emirates Airlines.