Incheon: Transpacific venture partners Korean Air and Delta Air Lines have launched the International Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS) on their Incheon-Atlanta route. This initiative is set to facilitate faster and more seamless travel for passengers.

According to Philippines News Agency, the launch event was attended by representatives from South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Incheon International Airport Corporation, and the two airlines. The IRBS system allows checked baggage to be X-ray screened at departure in Korea, with images securely transmitted to the US Customs and Border Protection for remote review before the flight lands at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Passengers will benefit from not having to collect and recheck their bags upon arrival in the US, thereby reducing connection times by approximately 20 minutes. This development ensures smoother connections at Atlanta, home to the “world’s busiest airport,” as passengers will no longer need to queue for baggage recheck or customs. Checked bags will automatically transfer to the final destination.

Korean Air Senior Vice President Kwangho Ko stated that the partnership with Delta and other partners aims to introduce new initiatives for a seamless passenger experience. Jeff Moomaw, Delta’s Vice President for Asia Pacific, emphasized their commitment to making transpacific travel easier and more enjoyable, with plans to extend these benefits to more US destinations from Incheon.

The introduction of IRBS is expected to significantly impact the route, which sees nearly 300,000 passengers annually. More than half of these passengers connect to onward flights via Atlanta. In 2024, Korean Air anticipates that 67,000 of its 123,000 passengers, along with over 100,000 of Delta’s 160,000 passengers, will transit through Atlanta.