"Arrived in Tokyo, But Luggage Vanished"... A String of Incidents at Incheon Airport, Why

It has been revealed that a series of checked luggage omissions recently occurred at Incheon International Airport, which boasts a world-class Baggage Handling System (BHS).

According to the aviation industry on September 19, 16 pieces of checked luggage were left off four Jin Air flights departing from Terminal 2 of Incheon Airport on September 4.

Just six days later on September 10, a similar incident occurred again, with 10 pieces of checked luggage left off five Jin Air flights.

It was found that these incidents took place during morning hours, mostly on flights heading to Japan, such as Tokyo and Fukuoka.

At Incheon Airport, checked luggage is automatically transported and sorted by flight. It is reported that delays in luggage security screening caused the check-in counter belts to malfunction at the time.

The airline notified passengers of the omitted checked luggage and arranged for them to receive their bags through subsequent flights.

In addition, the airline sent an official letter to Incheon International Airport Corporation requesting improvements regarding the non-loading issues caused by delayed security screenings and relief for damages.

Inside and outside the industry, the recent situation is considered unusual given that Incheon Airport's luggage non-loading rate stood at an extremely rare 2 cases per 1 million bags as of last year.

This is because Terminal 2 handles an average of about 100,000 bags a day, yet cases of luggage omission numbering in the double digits have repeated.

Around the same time, not only Jin Air but also other airlines operating in Terminal 2, such as Air Seoul and Air Busan, reportedly experienced similar issues, meaning the scale of damage could increase.

The Corporation estimated that the luggage omissions occurred due to delayed security screenings during peak hours when transfer and departure flights overlap, leading to a temporary surge in the volume of checked luggage.

Some point out that the suspension of security screening personnel from Terminal 1 supporting Terminal 2 starting September 1 has affected disruptions in security screening operations.

Following Asiana Airlines' relocation to Terminal 2 early this year, about 50 morning personnel and around 10 afternoon personnel among Terminal 1 security screening staff had been dispatched to support Terminal 2.

However, as the labor union and management of Incheon Airport Security, a subsidiary of Incheon Airport, failed to reach an agreement on the personnel support, the support shifts ended starting this month.

The union argues that instead of dispatching support staff, the fundamental labor shortage should be resolved by recruiting new security screening personnel.

With management and the union failing to narrow their differences, and consecutive holidays such as Chuseok, National Foundation Day, and Hangeul Day approaching, there are concerns that luggage omission incidents could happen again.

On September 27, the final day of the Chuseok holiday, the number of daily users at Incheon Airport is projected to reach 245,318, making it expected to be the busiest day during the holiday period.

An official from Incheon International Airport Corporation said, "We view the recent cases of luggage omissions as a temporary phenomenon," adding, "We plan to maintain an emergency work system to prevent similar issues from recurring."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.