(INCHEON) Korean Air and Delta Air Lines have launched International Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS) for flights from Incheon International Airport (ICN) to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), starting August 2025, allowing most passengers to skip baggage claim and recheck on arrival in the United States 🇺🇸. Under the program, X-ray images of checked bags are sent securely to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) while the aircraft is en route. Unless CBP calls for a closer check, bags move straight to the next flight or the carousel, cutting wait times and stress at the world’s busiest hub.
The roll-out follows an April 2025 pilot on a different corridor and now covers customers traveling on Korean Air or Delta between Seoul and Atlanta, including those connecting from other Asian cities via ICN on SkyTeam partners, if they give consent. The effort brings together Korean Air, Delta, CBP, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Incheon International Airport Corporation, and technology providers Leidos and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
According to the airlines, about 300,000 people fly this route each year, and more than half connect onward in Atlanta. Internal models estimate an average connection time reduction of about 20 minutes per passenger with IRBS. In 2024, 67,000 of 123,000 Korean Air passengers and more than 100,000 of 160,000 Delta passengers used Atlanta as a transit point on the Seoul–Atlanta service.
Kwangho Ko, Senior Vice President at Korean Air, said the carrier, along with its joint venture partner, aims to make the trip smoother end-to-end and will keep adding services that raise comfort and ease for customers. Jeff Moomaw, Delta’s Vice President for Asia-Pacific, called the move a first step toward bringing the same benefits to more U.S. cities from Seoul.
How remote screening changes arrivals in Atlanta
IRBS keeps the check-in process at ICN familiar while shifting the baggage inspection work to CBP officers working remotely.
- Check in and drop off checked bags at ICN as usual.
- Bags are X-ray scanned; images are sent securely to CBP for review during the flight.
- On arrival at Atlanta (ATL), passengers whose bags are not flagged go straight to their next gate or exit. No baggage recheck is required.
- Bags are sent automatically to the final destination. If CBP needs to examine a bag, the passenger is told on arrival and directed for inspection.
For families with strollers, older travelers, students with heavy suitcases, and workers carrying project gear, the change removes a stressful handoff in Atlanta. It also reduces the risk of missed connections and lowers the chance of mishandled bags during the recheck step.
CBP says the approach improves security by letting officers review images in advance and focus attention on the small share of bags that call for more scrutiny.
This means fewer lines at customs and less crowding at recheck counters, especially during peak banks when multiple long-haul flights land together. For official guidance on arrivals processing, travelers can consult CBP’s travel page at https://www.cbp.gov/travel.
Security, expansion plans, and what travelers should know
The program is part of CBP’s wider Airport Modernization Plan, which aims to improve both screening and the traveler experience through better use of technology. TSA and Korea’s transport ministry are part of the design and oversight, while Leidos and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory provide imaging and data systems.
Officials and industry partners say the Atlanta launch is a model for more routes from Seoul. Delta and Korean Air have stated they want to extend IRBS to additional U.S. destinations from ICN. Future upgrades under review include:
- Touchless ID
- Facial recognition at bag drop
- App-based tools that could further speed the journey
Passenger groups have welcomed the time savings and simpler transfers; security specialists note that earlier review of data can help spot risks before landing.
Joint venture context and pilot history
The move builds on the Korean Air–Delta transpacific joint venture formed in 2018. That partnership now:
- Serves more than 15 million customers
- Offers 19 peak-day departures between Seoul-Incheon and U.S. cities
- Links over 260 destinations across the Americas with more than 65 in Asia
The April 2025 pilot of IRBS on Sydney–Los Angeles with American Airlines provided a blueprint to bring the system to Korea–U.S. traffic.
Practical points for travelers (Seoul–Atlanta)
- IRBS applies to all Korean Air and Delta passengers on the ICN–ATL route, including those who start in another Asian city and connect through Seoul, when they provide consent at check-in.
- Pack carry-ons with any items you’ll need in Atlanta, since you won’t see your checked bag again until the final stop unless CBP selects it for inspection.
- If a bag is flagged:
- Expect notification upon arrival.
- Follow airport signs or staff directions for secondary inspection.
- After release, bags are re-routed.
- Keep travel documents handy for standard immigration processing on arrival in Atlanta; IRBS changes baggage handling, not entry procedures.
The practical effect is clear at Atlanta: fewer carts piled with suitcases at the customs exit, shorter lines at the recheck belt, and smoother connections onto domestic flights across the Southeast and beyond. That helps students arriving for the fall term, workers on tight project schedules, and families trying to reach smaller cities with one layover instead of two.
Momentum and implications
VisaVerge.com reports that the IRBS model is gaining momentum after the early trials this year, with partners signaling plans for a broader roll-out from Seoul and, potentially, other international gateways. Aviation analysts say the program reduces bottlenecks without adding steps for the traveler — a rare win in long-haul flying where time and predictability matter most.
While the change centers on baggage, it has clear ties to immigration workflow. By moving straight to inspection booths without hauling bags through customs first, arriving passengers can focus on passports, visas, and entry questions. The screening shift does not change who can enter or what goods are allowed; travelers must still follow all CBP rules on declarations and restricted items.
As the system settles in, watch for airline messages before departure and at check-in. Korean Air and Delta will brief customers at check-in about consent for remote screening and next steps on arrival. For now, the launch is focused on Atlanta, but both carriers and CBP have stated their aim to bring IRBS to more U.S. cities from Seoul once performance and staffing align.
For international travelers who have stood in a long customs line only to sprint to bag recheck and then back through security, a 20-minute gain can be the difference between a calm transfer and a missed flight.
With August’s go-live, Seoul–Atlanta passengers will be the first on this corridor to feel that change from curb to carousel.
This Article in a Nutshell
Starting August 2025, Korean Air and Delta deploy IRBS on Seoul–Atlanta flights, sending checked-bag X-rays to CBP onboard. Passengers consenting at check-in can bypass recheck in Atlanta, reducing connection times by about twenty minutes and easing transfers for families, students, and business travelers while maintaining security oversight.
