The Airport with a Flawless Luggage Record

The Airport that Never Lost a Passenger’s Luggage

Travelers may encounter inconveniences even when relying on reliable and professional airlines, as accidents can happen.
One of the most frequent issues is baggage mishandling, although not excessive considering the high volume of daily travels worldwide.

Airports must implement security procedures to prevent such mishaps, but it’s not always easy.
Baggage mishandling is usually caused by passengers themselves, due to carelessness and confusion, but irregularities in baggage sorting procedures and, to a lesser extent, theft also play a role.
Various relevant factors come into play, such as staffing levels and economic resources.

However, there is a particular airport that has never lost a passenger’s luggage, not because it is newly operational or less frequented than others.
The secret seems to lie in the baggage handling system for incoming flights, a method that has been successful since 1994.
In the meantime, all other airports worldwide strive to minimize the number of lost luggage incidents per year, which is not always easy.

The Kansai Airport

The airport that has never lost a passenger’s luggage is the Kansai Airport, serving the namesake region in Japan and some neighboring cities.
It boasts one of the world’s longest passenger terminals, measuring 1.7 kilometers in length.

Furthermore, it is interesting to note that this airport was designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano.
While this fact is unrelated to its excellent internal organization, it adds to the grandeur of its structure, located on the artificial island of Osaka, which has demonstrated remarkable resilience over time, enduring various weather challenges.

In 2024, the Kansai International Airport will officially celebrate 30 years since its opening and has not misplaced a single bag throughout all these years.
There were no interruptions even during the early reopening stages post-pandemic, unlike other airports worldwide, as evidenced by the spike in mishandled baggage incidents during that period.

Baggage sorting reportedly takes only 15 minutes due to an efficient organization: each airline operating at the airport must provide detailed cargo information for each flight, allowing for meticulous monitoring by onboard staff.
Checks are conducted during flights in communication with ground personnel.
This winning strategy contributes to the facility’s outstanding reputation, especially in terms of overall reliability and passenger care.

The management plans to expand further and continue improving, as it is projected to accommodate 37 million passengers in 2025.
According to CNN, it is one of the busiest airports in Japan, with an average of around 20-30 million passengers per year and approximately 10 million bags.
This excellent outcome contrasts with the modesty of the staff.
“We haven’t done anything special,” stated Kenji Takanishi, a public relations officer, to the U.S.
broadcaster.

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