Transfers at Incheon-Atlanta Airports Become Easier with Korean Air-Delta Air Lines Partnership

Exemption from Checked Baggage Screening for Transfers in Atlanta
Seamless Connections for Passengers on Incheon-Atlanta Route
Faster Entry and Improved Convenience with New IRBS System

Korean Air and Delta Air Lines announced on August 13 that they will officially implement the "Inbound Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS)" system on the Seoul (Incheon) to Atlanta route. With this service, when passengers transfer at Atlanta International Airport after departing from Incheon International Airport, their checked baggage will be automatically transferred to their connecting flight, significantly enhancing the convenience of transfers.

The new screening system will be introduced on Korean Air flight KE035 and Delta Air Lines flights DL188 and DL026, all departing from Incheon International Airport and arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport.

At the departure airport, X-ray images of baggage bound for the United States are remotely transmitted to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), where they are pre-analyzed. While passengers are en route to their flight, their baggage is inspected in advance by U.S. authorities, streamlining the entry process after landing.

Passengers using these flights from Incheon Airport will be exempt from random baggage inspections and customs checks upon arrival at Atlanta Airport, allowing them to enter the country more quickly.

The convenience is even greater for those transferring within the United States. Currently, passengers are required to claim and recheck their baggage at their first point of entry in the U.S. With the new system, this step is eliminated, allowing travelers to proceed directly to their connecting flights. Korean Air expects the minimum connection time to be reduced by at least 20 minutes.

Korean Air and Delta Air Lines believe the impact of this new screening system will be significant, as the total number of passengers on the Incheon-Atlanta route reaches 300,000 annually. More than half of all passengers on this route transfer at Atlanta, which is one of the busiest hub airports in the world.

Last year, of the total 123,000 passengers who departed from Incheon on Korean Air, approximately 67,000 transferred to connecting flights in Atlanta. For Delta Air Lines, about 160,000 passengers used the Incheon-Atlanta route last year, with around 100,000 of them being transfer passengers.

A Korean Air representative stated, "We will continue to introduce services that support seamless journeys, enhancing customer convenience and enabling more comfortable air travel."