All the airport's check-in counters can now print integrated radio frequency identification baggage tags which can boost operational efficiency and customer service, the Airport Authority says.

The new tags combine an embedded radio frequency identification chip with a barcode, and replace barcode-only baggage tags on an airline-by-airline basis.

Unlike barcode-only tags, radio frequency identification tags can be read from a distance and at an angle. They can also be read more quickly, contain more data and are more reliable with read-rates of 97% against an average of 80% for barcode tags.

Check-in counters in Terminals 1 and 2, in-town check-in desks at Airport Express Kowloon and Hong Kong Stations, upstream check-in facilities in the Pearl River Delta, and all of the airport's baggage handling and sorting systems now employ the new technology. About 40,000 bags, 90% of all departing bags, from around 50 airlines use the new baggage tags each day.

Airport Authority Terminal Business General Manager Henry Ma said there will be further efficiency and reliability gains when the rollout is completed later this year.

Hong Kong International Airport is one of the first airports to begin introducing radio frequency identification technology, which it operates in parallel with a barcode-based system. A total of $50 million has been invested in the infrastructure.

The International Air Transport Association has endorsed radio frequency identification-based baggage handling as a way of simplifying airport procedures. Worldwide implementation of radio frequency identification based baggage handling can bring annual savings of US$760 million for the industry.