CBP and Qatar Airways have implemented a remote baggage screening system on nonstop flights from Doha to New York JFK. By reviewing X-ray images while the aircraft is en route, the program allows eligible connecting travelers to skip luggage carousels and recheck counters. This modernization effort at JFK’s New Terminal One enhances security, saves passengers up to 45 minutes, and supports expected surges for the 2026 World Cup.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched remote baggage screening for Qatar Airways flights between Doha and JFK.
- Connecting passengers can bypass baggage reclaim as officers review X-ray images while the flight is in the air.
- The new system saves up to forty-five minutes for travelers and prepares JFK for the twenty twenty-six World Cup.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began remote screening of checked bags on Qatar Airways’ nonstop Doha-JFK route Friday, allowing eligible connecting passengers to bypass baggage reclaim and recheck at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The new International Remote Baggage Screening system captures X-ray images at Hamad International Airport before departure. Officers in the United States review those images while the aircraft is en route.
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Passengers still face additional inspection if the agency selects their baggage. Otherwise, connecting travelers can proceed directly to onward flights, with their bags transferred to the final destination.
The arrangement links the agency with the Qatar Ministry of the Interior, Qatar Airways and New Terminal One at JFK. The announcement came on Friday, July 24, 2026.
Diane J. Sabatino, executive assistant commissioner for the Office of Field Operations, said the initiative combines security screening with faster arrivals.
“advancing innovative solutions that enhance both security and the traveler experience”
Sabatino said the Doha-JFK expansion strengthens enforcement by helping officers identify and intercept threats before they reach the United States. She also said the partnership would support rigorous baggage screening and protect the homeland.
The process moves the image review earlier in the journey. That can save connecting passengers up to 45 minutes at JFK, where international travelers traditionally collect luggage, clear customs and recheck bags before a domestic connection.
Remote review shifts the baggage inspection before landing
The airport in Doha scans checked baggage for passengers bound for JFK. It then transmits the images digitally to officers in the United States.
Those officers examine the images during the flight. The system lets them focus attention on bags that raise a specific security concern instead of requiring every eligible connecting traveler to visit the carousel and recheck counters.
Passengers whose bags receive additional scrutiny may still need a physical inspection. The bypass applies to eligible connecting passengers, not automatically to everyone arriving on the route.
The change also aims to reduce crowding in the International Arrivals Hall and ease pressure at Transportation Security Administration recheck counters. The airline’s connecting customers remain subject to customs and border processing requirements.
| Journey stage | What happens under the new arrangement |
|---|---|
| Before departure | Checked bags receive X-ray screening at Hamad International Airport |
| During the flight | U.S. officers remotely review the transmitted images |
| At JFK | Eligible connecting passengers can continue without reclaiming and rechecking bags |
| If selected | The bag may undergo additional physical inspection |
The arrangement does not eliminate screening. It changes where and when the review occurs.
New Terminal One provides the infrastructure for the expansion
New Terminal One is a $9.5 billion public-private partnership and a central part of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s redevelopment of JFK. Its first phase, featuring 14 gates, is scheduled to open in 2026.
The terminal was designed to support newer border-processing technology. The partners coordinated the screening deployment as the terminal prepares to handle expanded international operations.
Qatar Airways is transitioning its JFK operations from Terminal 8 to New Terminal One. That move places the remote baggage process within the airport’s broader redevelopment program.
The terminal’s role extends beyond baggage images. The remote screening system is being paired with Enhanced Passenger Processing, a program that uses facial biometrics to expedite traveler entry.
Together, the systems form part of the airport’s effort to modernize international arrivals. The agency’s Airport Modernization Plan calls for technology in Federal Inspection Services areas that can strengthen security while speeding passenger processing.
The Doha route joins earlier Sydney deployments
The agency has already piloted and expanded the remote screening model with other airline partners. United Airlines began using it for Sydney-San Francisco flights in September 2025.
American Airlines added Sydney-Los Angeles flights in April 2025. The Doha-JFK launch extends the model to a Middle Eastern departure point and a major New York gateway.
Those earlier deployments established the operating pattern now used on the Qatar route: overseas baggage imaging, in-flight review by U.S. officers and targeted follow-up when a bag requires closer examination.
The agency says additional international airports and airline partners will join the program. It described the approach as an intelligence-driven arrivals process built through international cooperation.
Partners link the screening system to JFK’s next phase
The Qatari side includes HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatar’s minister of interior, and Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, Qatar Airways Group chief executive officer.
Simon Gandy, executive vice president and chief operating officer of New Terminal One at JFK, represents the terminal partnership. Sabatino represents the U.S. side through the Office of Field Operations.
The arrangement depends on coordination across the departure airport, airline, terminal operator and U.S. border agency. Doha supplies the baggage images, while officers in the United States conduct the remote assessment during the flight.
The program is also being treated as preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted across North America. JFK is expected to handle record-breaking international passenger volumes during the event.
That expected traffic gives the partners a large-scale test for the new arrival process. The system is intended to support passenger growth without lowering the screening standard.
The agency’s modernization strategy includes Enhanced Passenger Processing and other technology initiatives in federal inspection areas. The stated goal is an arrivals system that combines advance intelligence with faster movement through the airport.
Passengers connecting onward from Doha should still allow time for possible inspection at JFK. A bag selected for additional review will not receive the automatic bypass, even when the traveler qualifies for the streamlined process.
The deployment begins with one nonstop route, but the agency plans to expand the model as more airports and airline partners enter the program.
