Passengers complete pre-inspection of carry-on luggage as instructed. [Photo/Xiamen Daily]

The new "pre-inspection of carry-on luggage" model for inbound travelers, a Fujian first, launched on Feb 1 at Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, adding another layer of convenience to streamline airport passenger flow.

With annual inbound and outbound passenger traffic at the airport now exceeding 4 million, travelers are increasingly expecting a more efficient clearance experience. 

Under the previous procedure, arriving passengers first completed health quarantine, then proceeded to the baggage carousel to collect their checked luggage, and finally carried their own hand luggage to the customs inspection area for screening. This multi-step process was time-consuming and often led to bottlenecks, particularly during peak flight times or periods of high passenger volume.

This new model relocates X-ray screening of carry-on luggage from the post-baggage-claim stage to align with the health quarantine process, enabling "one scan, dual checks" by completing both customs and quarantine inspections simultaneously.

Checked luggage is now also screened via X-ray before passengers retrieve it. This means that after collecting their checked bags, travelers can proceed directly to the exit without queuing again for a separate carry-on luggage inspection.

Initial assessments indicate that this optimized process will reduce individual passenger clearance time to under 20 seconds and cut the overall customs clearance duration for an entire flight by approximately 30 percent.