CBP, Qatar partner to enhance remote baggage screening at JFK

WASHINGTON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in partnership with the Qatar Ministry of the Interior, Qatar Airways, and the New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport, today announced the implementation of International Remote Baggage Screening for Qatar Airways’ nonstop Doha–JFK route.

"CBP is committed to advancing innovative solutions that enhance both security and the traveler experience," said Executive Assistant Commissioner Diane J. Sabatino, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “The expansion of International Remote Baggage Screening on the Doha–JFK route significantly bolsters our enforcement capabilities. This initiative leverages advanced technology and international partnerships to proactively identify and interdict threats before they reach the U.S. By collaborating with Qatar Airways, the Qatar Ministry of the Interior, and the New Terminal One, we are strengthening our security posture and ensuring that all baggage is rigorously screened to prevent the entry of illicit items and protect the homeland."  

This partnership advances CBP’s Airport Modernization strategy, leveraging advanced technology and trusted international collaboration as a business model to strengthen border security and improve the traveler experience. Through IRBS, X-ray images of checked baggage for JFK-bound passengers are captured prior to departure from Hamad International Airport and transmitted to CBP officers, who remotely review them while the aircraft is enroute to the United States. This proactive approach maintains CBP’s rigorous security standards, expedites processing, and allows eligible connecting passengers to proceed directly to their onward flights without reclaiming and rechecking baggage unless selected for additional inspection.

The New Terminal One at JFK, a $9.5 billion public-private partnership and centerpiece of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s redevelopment of JFK, has been designed to support next-generation border processing technologies. The IRBS expansion is the result of extensive coordination between CBP, Qatar Airways, the Qatar Ministry of the Interior, and New Terminal One, working together to deploy innovations that improve security, operational efficiency, and the passenger experience. 

The addition of IRBS complements broader modernization initiatives, including Enhanced Passenger Processing, creating one of the most technologically advanced international arrival environments in the United States.

The IRBS initiative aligns with CBP’s Airport Modernization Plan, focusing on enhancing security and traveler experience through multifaceted technology innovations in CBP Federal Inspection Services areas. As additional international airports and airline partners join the program, CBP continues to build a more seamless, intelligence-driven arrivals process that strengthens the security of the United States while supporting the growth of global aviation.

-CBP-