South Korea has added Detroit and Minneapolis to its International Remote Baggage Screening program for travelers from Incheon Airport, following Atlanta. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said the expansion starts Thursday. It was developed in cooperation with the US Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on April 15 in Seoul that it has expanded the International Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS) program to Detroit and Minneapolis international airports for travelers connecting from Incheon International Airport to US flights. The program had previously been available only at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, where it was first introduced in August last year.
Under the IRBS system, X-ray images of baggage checked at Incheon are transmitted in advance to the US, allowing security officials to screen it before the aircraft arrives. If no issues are detected, the baggage is transferred directly to connecting flights. The ministry said transit passengers on Incheon-Detroit and Incheon-Minneapolis routes will save at least 20 minutes without needing to reclaim baggage.
The expansion was made in cooperation with the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with both sides agreeing to further improve transfer procedures in the future. The Korea Times and Yonhap News Agency reported the announcement.
