The airline handles more than 200 million passengers on two million flights annually through a network of ~ 350 destinations.
Key Challenges
The airline sought a baggage tracking system to -
trace each baggage from check-in to stopover to final destination
boost baggage handling operations
improve aircraft load balancing
The Impact
40%
improvement in traceability of missing baggage
15% reduction in baggage-related incidents
25% decline in mishandled baggage
Infosys Solution
Digital transformation streamlines ramp operations
Automated system tracks baggage, balances aircraft load
A team of Infosys digital experts developed a mobile application to track baggage and manage its movement through the flight journey. We automated airplane weight and load balancing. We integrated the application with mainframe backend systems for real-time validation of baggage rules. Our approach mitigated risks and revenue leakage due to missing / mishandled baggage and aircraft overload / imbalance.
Infosys created a digital ecosystem focused on the passenger experience, baggage traceability, flight safety, and airline revenue. Our digital systems automate tracking, validate data, and trigger a response mechanism to manage real-time events. The application displays the location of each baggage, which enables the airline to track baggage items of passengers across their airline network from checking in till disembarkation.
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talk to our expertsCompliance with IATA Resolution 753
100% accuracy in aircraft weight and load balancing
Average annual saving of US$ 7.50 million
Centralized baggage repository
The Infosys baggage tracking solution depends on core backend systems to process real-time events of passengers, baggage and flights. We created a centralized baggage repository to streamline the flow of information through enterprise systems. The repository manages millions of records and interfaces with disparate internal / third-party systems to track checked-in baggage across counters and transit locations.
The centralized repository serves as the single source of information for baggage. Our solution unifies sources of baggage-related data, reconciles data using predefined rules, and channelizes it for consumption. We established a rules engine to automate recording and systems update of baggage weight and airplane load balancing.
Baggage data is verified and confirmed during loading to address criteria such as global security standards, connecting flight data, and rerouting at specific airport. The location of each scanned baggage on the aircraft is recorded in the system along with the flight load plan. Baggage weight and aircraft load balance data is automatically updated in the Sabre Global Distribution System (GDS), and provides the sign-off on loading completion for flight takeoff.
We built adaptors to integrate the mobile application with complex legacy systems. Our responsive dashboard empowers airport gate agents and airline staff to promptly assist passengers with baggage issues. The dashboard enables search based on diverse criteria, and maps the flight and passenger to the checked-in baggage. In addition, it displays deviations from specific processes, guidelines and expected time of arrival.
Our digital ecosystem complies with guidelines of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for proactive customer notification. A baggage notification rules engine processes data from all baggage-related systems and incorporates an alerting mechanism to message baggage handlers, tracers and passengers in the event of a deviation.
Modular and reusable frameworks
The Infosys team created bespoke components to accelerate development of the baggage tracking solution while enabling reusability of modules. We combined standardized methods with IP technology tools for timely delivery of an error-free system. We used the JUnit framework to generate test cases. A customized test automation framework validated all fields in baggage messages and ensured total data coverage. Our test strategy helped the airline save ~ US$150,000.
The tracking solution is designed to support diverse handheld devices, scanning instruments, ramp / loading processes across airports, and aircraft configurations. Automated update of real-time baggage weight, flight balance and passenger data via mobile devices eliminates the need for Sabre terminals. Further, a customized offline sync engine streams data feeds into the core baggage repository, enabling systems update in the offline mode.
Our weight and load balancing system ensures data accuracy, which enables compliance with guidelines of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for flight safety and take off. In addition, the system boosts employee productivity and rationalizes the team of baggage tracers across airport hubs such as Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles and Miami.
Digital workflow, reusable components and standardized frameworks enable the airline to integrate emerging technologies into the system. Significantly, it supports third-party Passenger Services System (PSS) and Flight Operating System (FOS) in the event of a merger / acquisition.
Agile-DevOps methodology
Infosys and the airline established a Joint Innovation Council to address the complexity of backend systems, manage changes to the scope of application development, and coordinate resources. We selected the Agile DevOps approach to ensure a high performance architecture and a robust system to process voluminous baggage data, reconcile messages using complex algorithms, and update output to 20+ client applications in real time.
Our experts leveraged Jenkins Pipeline plug-ins, automation tools, and process bots to realize goals: Continuous Integration-Continuous Delivery (CI-CD), static code analysis, minimal effort across the development cycle, accelerated time-to-market, and application stability as well as high availability.
We created a configurable release management portal to streamline release planning and track releases across projects. The deployment model enabled smooth roll out to 250+ airports in USA and 70+ destinations in the airline’s global network.
Since baggage movement is part of core airline business processes and critical for on-time flight takeoff, a disaster recovery mechanism was established for the baggage visibility solution. Two data centers with active-active data processing nodes provide 24x7 production and maintenance support for the application infrastructure. Notably, continuous monitoring ensures zero downtime of the mission-critical application.
