American Airlines is partnering with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to pilot a new baggage screening program aimed at enhancing passenger experience while maintaining security.
The new initiative, dubbed International Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS), is designed to streamline connections for international travelers by eliminating the need to recheck bags after clearing customs—passengers can now head straight to a TSA Checkpoint and on to their connecting flights after passport control.
The IRBS program, which leverages advanced baggage screening technology, aims to cut down on connection times and reduce the hassle of navigating U.S. Customs Halls with checked luggage. Having just traveled the world with my wife and 10 month old, this program would have cut down on a lot of mom and dad’s stress.
While the screening process remains just as secure, this behind-the-scenes upgrade allows travelers to breeze through their journey without the extra step of rehandling their checked luggage as baggage screening will be done remotely.
American will begin piloting this initiative on the carrier’s daily flight between Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Gary Tomasulo, Vice President of Global Corporate Security at American, said this about the new program:
“We are excited to collaborate with CBP on this innovative initiative. By leveraging advanced technology and working with Sydney Airport and our vendor partners BagCheck and Brock Solutions, we are enhancing safety and security while streamlining the CBP baggage inspection process to make global travel smoother and more convenient for our customers.”
Graham White, Head of Security at Sydney Airport, added:
“It’s fantastic to support American Airlines and CBP on this initiative, which represents a significant, positive shift in terms of the experience for passengers transiting through U.S. ports. Our top priorities are safety, efficiency and service, and through this collaboration we can achieve all three. We look forward to successfully launching this pilot which is a great example of how technology can modernize and streamline customs and border processing.”
The initiative is part of CBP’s broader Airport Modernization Plan, which aims to improve security and traveler experiences through technological advancements at U.S. Federal Inspection Stations (FIS).
If the pilot does well, you can expect to see this offering rolled out to more routes in the future though, given the security concerns, it could be a while until this is rolled out broadly.
Summary
American Airlines and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have launched a new pilot program that allows international travelers to bypass the traditional baggage recheck process after clearing customs, streamlining connections and reducing wait times. Checked luggage is screened remotely with passengers able to continue on to their next flight.
The program will be in place on American’s daily Sydney to Los Angeles flight for the time being. Information about a further rollout, should the pilot be successful, is not currently available.
