Telha
This extraordinary feat has garnered the prestigious Skytrax award for World’s Best Airport for Baggage Delivery 2024. “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,” expressed the airport in a press release.
Since its inauguration in 1994, Kansai airport has been a bustling hub, catering to an estimated 20 million to 30 million passengers annually.
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This recent accolade, marking its eighth win, is a testament to its commitment to swift and reliable baggage handling. The evaluation criteria include wait time before baggage pickup, efficiency of baggage delivery, and response to lost baggage, as outlined in the release.
In the fiscal year of 2023, the airport processed approximately 10 million baggage items, as reported by Nikkei Asia. The secret to their impeccable track record lies in meticulous procedures, with two or three staffers meticulously assessing the types and quantities of bags for each flight, alongside passenger transit information.
“Multilayered checking work” is the cornerstone of their success, emphasized Tsuyoshi Habuta, overseeing baggage operations at airport operator CKTS, in an interview with Nikkei Asia.
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The airport’s commitment to excellence extends to regular updates of a comprehensive manual detailing the specific regulations for each airline, incorporating staff suggestions gleaned from experience.
CKTS sets a target of delivering bags to baggage claim within 15 minutes of the aircraft’s arrival. However, the modest airport staff downplay their achievements. “We don’t feel like we have been doing something special,” remarked Kenji Takanishi, a public relations officer for Kansai, in a conversation with CNN. “We only do our work on a daily basis 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.”
Looking ahead, Kansai airport anticipates a surge in passenger traffic during the 2025 fiscal year, projecting 37.3 million passengers, buoyed by the six-month-long global-innovations forum World Expo 2025, as reported by Nikkei Asia.
