PNNL

RICHLAND, Wash. — Passengers on some U.S.-bound flights from Asia and Europe are finding the U.S. Customs and Border Protection process more efficient, thanks to a partnership between several federal agencies, airlines and the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

A new system screens and analyzes checked baggage before it lands in the United States, minimizing the need for passengers on some connecting flights to retrieve their bags and put them through security again. Instead, their bags are forwarded directly to their next flight with no need for additional inspection, unless specifically referred by CBP for further inspection.

In the past year, the new system has been implemented on several international routes, including flights arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport from London-Heathrow and Seoul and on arrivals in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Detroit from Seoul.

The effort to create the International Remote Baggage Screening system, or IRBS, was led by CBP and the Transportation Security Administration, along with airline partners including Korean Air, Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines. The research supports TSA’s One Stop Security program to improve the passenger experience by removing the need for some international passengers to recheck their luggage when they arrive in the United States.

The development shifts some screening from the ground, where it has been necessary for some passengers to navigate an additional checkpoint, to the air while the plane is in flight.

PNNL’s role in the program draws upon its decades of experience developing new technologies to keep airline travel safe. For example, the Laboratory’s millimeter-wave technology screens passengers in most of the world’s airports. Laboratory scientists and engineers also do extensive research in data analytics, bringing together multiple feeds of information and drawing conclusions through its analysis.

PNNL weaves this into its long history of working with international partners on complex problems to come up with mutually beneficial solutions. In this case, PNNL scientists and engineers worked with multiple U.S. agencies, governing bodies from other nations, and security organizations to create agreements to work together, ensure security safety and respect the privacy laws and requirements of all partners.