MANILA – Transpacific venture partners Korean Air and Delta Air Lines on Wednesday launched the International Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS) on their Incheon-Atlanta route, enabling faster and more seamless travel.

The launch 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.

With the IRBS, checked baggage is X-ray screened at departure in Korea, and images are securely transmitted to US Customs and Border Protection for remote review before the flight arrives at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta.

As such, passengers would no longer need to collect and recheck their bags upon arrival in the US, reducing connection times by around 20 minutes.

This means smoother connections to Atlanta, where the "world's busiest airport" is located. Passengers would no longer need to queue for baggage recheck or customs.

Checked bags automatically transfer to the final destination.

“Together with Delta and our partners, we are introducing new initiatives to deliver a seamless passenger experience,” Korean Air Senior Vice President Kwangho Ko said in a statement.

"We’re committed to making transpacific travel easier and more enjoyable,” Delta’s Vice President for Asia Pacific Jeff Moomaw said, adding that they aim to bring these benefits to more US destinations from Incheon.

The introduction of IRBS is expected to have a significant impact as there are nearly 300,000 passengers flying this route each year, according to Korean Air. More than half connect to onward flights via Atlanta.

In 2024, some 67,000 of 123,000 Korean Air passengers and more than 100,000 of 160,000 Delta passengers transited through Atlanta, the airline said. (PNA)