The Airport That Hasn't Lost a Single Bag in 30 Years

A major Japanese airport is preparing to mark 30 years of operations and, along with it, a milestone that many U.S. airports could only dream of: not a single piece of luggage has been lost since it opened its doors.

Kansai International Airport services the port city of Osaka as well as nearby Kobe and Kyoto and is among the busiest in Japan. It first opened in September 1994 and has regularly been celebrated for its operations and efficiency. But its flawless record of baggage handling puts it in a league of its own among major international airports — and could offer lessons for other hubs that struggle with claims of lost or damaged luggage.

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But there's no secret sauce in how Kansai has managed its perfect record of baggage handling, Kenji Takanishi, a spokesperson for the airport, told Newsweek.

"The ground handling staff at Kansai International Airport is nothing special," Takanishi said. But they do have a system of redundancies in place to ensure each bag reaches its destination.

Teams work in small groups — two or three at a time to reduce how many hands touch each bag. They use a detailed manual that specifies rules for how to load and unload the cargo holds of each airline that services Kansai, and are instructed to regularly share information as part of the multilayered approach.

If the number of bags unloaded from a flight differs at all from the number of bags that were loaded at its point of origin, staffers will immediately examine the cargo hold and surrounding areas.

The airport's goal is to get a suitcase from the cargo hold to baggage claim within 15 minutes of a flight landing, taking care to place each piece of luggage on the conveyor belt with its handle facing outward to allow for easy pickup, Takanishi said.

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"Of course, if the bag gets wet from rain, it is wiped and returned" to the carousel. Certain items like strollers and sports equipment are hand delivered to passengers to ensure they aren't damaged during the unloading process.

Kansai handles up to 30 million passengers and 11 million pieces of luggage a year, Takanishi said, and those numbers are expected to swell next year when Osaka plays host to Expo 2025, a major international fair that is projected to see some 28 million visitors descend on the region for the six-month event. The airport is undergoing major renovations to prepare for the Expo.

"Since many customers come to Kansai from all over the world, we aim to be more courteous and accurate in our operations," Takanishi said.

Kansai has been ranked among the world's best airports for its dining options and staff. SkyTrax, a UK aviation website, has recognized Kansai eight times specifically for its baggage handling, including as recently as this year.

At the other end of the spectrum are airports like John F. Kennedy in New York City, which was recently named by Forbes as the U.S. airport with the worst track record for lost and damaged luggage.

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Despite its record of dependability, Kansai is suffering from some serious problems — namely, that it is sinking at an alarming rate. The airport was deemed a marvel of engineering when it was built atop two artificial islands in Osaka Bay. Since then, the airport has sunk 38 feet — far more than expected — and is projected to sink another 13 feet by the middle of the century, putting it at sea level.

Kansai has already been flooded by passing typhoons, and millions have been spent to fortify the islands from the encroaching sea.

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