Incheon International Airport Corporation has launched an automated international remote baggage screening system (IRBS), enabling cross-border aviation security and passenger processing between South Korea and the USA.
Under the new IRBS model, the checked baggage of passengers departing from or connecting through Incheon International Airport (IIA) Terminal 2 is screened remotely by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before landing in the USA. Once cleared, baggage is transferred directly to its destination, eliminating the traditional reclaim-and-recheck process at the first US arrival airport.
The process removes a critical bottleneck, and can reduce connection times by up to 20 minutes. Currently operating for flights into Atlanta, IRBS-enabled routes are expected to gradually expand to Minneapolis, Seattle, Los Angeles, Detroit and Salt Lake City.
IRBS uses Smiths Detection’s remote screening platform, SecurePort-IRBS-K, which is deployed with 22 software licenses and integrated with Hi-Scan 10080 XCT computed tomography x-ray systems installed at Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 2. All images and metadata are exported using the DICOS V3.0 standard and securely transmitted to CBP through a fully compliant data-exchange environment.
Smiths Detection said in a January 21 press release that it is ready to support Incheon International Airport Corporation with the next-generation SDX 10080 SCT, the successor to the 10080 XCT.
Operational service for IRBS began in August 2025, following a multi-agency certification effort involving the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Transportation Security Administration, Incheon International Airport Corporation, Korean Air, Delta Air Lines, Leidos, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. All data handling and transmission meet the requirements of Korea’s Personal Information Protection Act and US CBP security and cybersecurity protocols.
The implementation represents Phase 2 of a broader multi-year roadmap that will continue expanding remote screening capabilities.
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