A achievement that other international airports can only dream of has been reported by Kansai International Airport (KIX), located near Osaka, Japan. Since it opened in September 1994, the airport has maintained a perfect record of never losing a single piece of passenger luggage, giving it an unmatched reputation for dependability and efficiency in operations across the globe.

As the world prepares for Expo 2025, expectations are growing that foreign attendees will land at one of the best-run airports in the world, where streamlined passenger processing and even more dependable baggage handling procedures are essential to a stress-free, stress-free airport experience.

Usually, a limited number of crucial sites in the luggage handling chain are where lost bags happen. These may result from staff mishandling the baggage during their transfer at the connecting airport or from them not being loaded at the airport of departure. SITA, a Swiss-based IT system developer for the aviation industry, estimates that in 2022, there will be 7.6 bags mishandled for every 1,000 passengers worldwide by airline carriers.

Nevertheless, in nearly 30 years of operation, Kansai Airport appears to have avoided similar problems, as no baggage has been lost for reasons directly related to the airport operator. In 2023, the airport processed roughly 10 million luggage items.

The airport authority attributes its achievement in this area to its multilayered checking effort. The baggage on each plane is only handled by two or three staff members, which reduces human intervention and increases staff ownership of the luggage during its transit through the airport.

“It’s important for multiple staff members to share information to prevent mistakes arising from erroneous assumptions,” said Tsuyoshi Habuta, who supervises baggage operations at the airport’s primary baggage handling company CKTS, speaking to Nikkei Asia.

If the quantity of baggage items unloaded from an airplane upon arrival is different from the quantity loaded at the origin airport, the CKTS personnel will promptly examine the aircraft’s cargo hold, the surrounding parking apron, and the luggage sorting area of the airport.

In order to reduce passenger stress, the airport also uses CKTS to promote the objective of having every bag from every arriving aircraft in the baggage claim area within 15 minutes of the plane’s arrival.

Additionally, in order to save passengers time and minimize inconvenience, CKTS staff members are trained to position suitcases on conveyor belts with the handles facing outward toward passengers. Additionally, staff members are required to dry any baggage that may become damp from the rain and personally deliver any damaged goods, like baby carriages or musical instruments, to the passenger.

Kansai Airport was recognized as the world’s best airport for baggage delivery at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2024, marking its eighth consecutive year of winning this esteemed title. The airport was praised for its effectiveness and speed in delivering bags to customers.

But even with its stellar reputation and several honors, Kansai Airport isn’t content to sit back and take it all in. From April to October 2025, Expo 2025 is anticipated to bring over 3.5 million foreign visitors to Osaka, while the airport itself is projected to handle 37.33 million passengers. This amount represents a significant rise above the 14 million in 2023. The entire world will be watching to see if Kansai can continue to preserve his perfect record at this time.