Fiji Airways, Fiji’s National Airline, has completed installation of over 4,000 ultra high-frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) tags throughout its entire fleet of 15 aircraft. One of the first of the Oceanian airlines to utilise RFID, Fiji Airways has taken a keen interest in being an early adopter of customer-centric tech since rebranding in 2013.
Fiji Airways is integrating RFID to improve in-cabin inspections for onboard emergency equipment such as life vests, life rafts, oxygen bottles, fire extinguishers, extension seat belts, earmuffs, flashlights, survival kits as well as oxygen generators across the A330, B737, ATR, and Twin Otter fleet.
Mr. Andre Viljoen, Fiji Airways’ Managing Director and CEO stated, “As an airline, we seek to innovate and to pass that on to our customers. By utilising EAM’s RFID technology, we can inspect hundreds of items on each plane within minutes, enhancing internal efficiencies and decreasing ground time. These enhancements allow us to continue our relentless focus on safety and operational excellence. EAM RFID Solutions is a natural fit for our needs in this regard.”
The Dubai office of EAM RFID Solutions, a division of EAM Worldwide, is leading the Fiji Airways implementation.
“Fiji Airways has been an existing client of EAM Worldwide’s safety and survival equipment for years, so we are able to work closely to create a tailor-made solution based on their requirements and procedures,” stated Marco Andreacchio, Senior Project Manager at EAM RFID Solutions.
Fiji Airways has been using EAM Worldwide life vests for over 10 years. EAM Worldwide is one of the first to embed RFID tags, leading the market with in-vest implementation since 2009.
To continue with the RFID program, Fiji Airways and EAM RFID Solutions intend to deploy a wider Cyber Physical System (CPS) by tagging other items (including seat covers) and seeking to advance opportunities with additional system integration with Engineering maintenance system AMOS.