A Japanese airport is celebrating a big milestone, Kansai International Airport (KIX) has never lost a piece of luggage in 30 years. The airport won the Skytrax award for World's Best Airport for Baggage Delivery 2024.
In a press release, the airport said, "We believe that the record of having no baggage lost since the opening of the airport is the result of the daily efforts and careful work of everyone involved, including airlines and handling companies."
Kansai Airport, Osaka opened its doors in 1994 and so far it has served 20 million to 30 million passengers annually. The airport has bagged the award eight times, the New York Post reported. The evaluation is based on wait time before baggage pickup, efficiency of baggage delivery and response to lost luggage.
KIX airport has handed about 10 million baggage items in the 2023 fiscal year.
What makes their track record so successful? Well, it's their "Multilayered checking work". The airport has dedicated two or three staffers to assess the types and number of bags for each plane, as well as its passenger transit information.
"It's important for multiple staff members to share information to prevent mistakes arising from erroneous assumptions," Tsuyoshi Habuta, who supervises baggage operations at airport operator CKTS, told Nikkei Asia.
In anticipation of the World Expo 2025, they expect to welcome a whopping 37.3 million passengers during the 2025 fiscal year. To ensure a smooth travel experience, the airport has a detailed guide for handling luggage for each airline.
This guide is regularly updated based on the experience and suggestions of the staff, and their goal is to get your bags to you within 15 minutes of your flight's arrival. Despite their impressive efficiency, the airport staff seems to consider this just a standard part of their service.
"We don't feel like we have been doing something special," Kenji Takanishi, a public relations officer for Kansai, told CNN. "We have been working as we normally do.
"We only do our work daily and we are recognized for it. We are certainly happy to receive the award. I think our staff, especially those working on the ground, feel more pleased."
