- Japan Airlines will trial humanoid robots to assist baggage handlers at Haneda Airport
- The robots, developed by Unitree Robotics, will move luggage to reduce physical workload
- The trial starts in May and will run for two years, with potential future roles for robots
Japan Airlines is preparing to deploy humanoid robots at Tokyo's busy Haneda Airport in efforts to address labour shortages in the country's aviation sector.
From early May, the airline will reportedly begin a two-year trial in which robots will assist baggage handlers on the tarmac. These machines, developed by China-based Unitree Robotics, are designed to move luggage and cargo which will help ease the physical workload on ground staff at one of Japan's busiest airports that serves over 60 million passengers annually, The Guardian reported.
Standing about 130 cm tall, the robots were recently demonstrated handling cargo near a parked aircraft. In a video shared by TV Tokyo BIZ, one machine was seen pushing containers onto a conveyor belt and responding with gestures such as waving.
The airline is also looking at expanding the robots' role to include tasks such as aircraft cabin cleaning and handling ground support equipment in the future.
The report mentioned that the initiative is being carried out in collaboration with GMO Internet Group. The companies plan to continue the experiment until 2028 during which they will evaluate how effectively robots can support operations while maintaining safety and efficiency standards.
According to JAL Ground Service president Yoshiteru Suzuki, the use of robotics in physically demanding roles is expected to reduce strain on employees. But he noted that critical responsibilities such as safety management will remain under human supervision.
The move comes as Japan faces increasing pressure from both a surge in international tourism and a shrinking domestic workforce. More than 7 million travellers visited the country in the first two months of 2026 after a record 42.7 million arrivals in the previous year, The Guardian, citing data from Japan National Tourism Organisation, reported.
At the same time, estimates suggest that the country may require over 6.5 million foreign workers by 2040 to sustain economic growth.
“While airports appear highly automated and standardised, their back-end operations still rely heavily on human labour and face serious labor shortages,” Tomohiro Uchida, president of GMO AI and Robotics, said.
Across Japan, robots are already in use at some airports where they assist with functions like security patrols and retail operations.
