Japan Airlines Pioneers Humanoid Robot Trials at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport
Japan Airlines has embarked on a revolutionary two-year trial, introducing humanoid robots to manage baggage and cargo operations at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. This marks the first airport-based humanoid robot experiment in Japan. The initiative, which kicked off in May 2026 in collaboration with GMO AI & Robotics Corporation, is a strategic response to the country’s acute labor shortage in the aviation sector.
The humanoid robots, manufactured in China by Unitree and standing approximately 130 centimeters tall, will initially be assigned to transport travelers’ luggage and cargo containers on the tarmac at Haneda. This airport caters to more than 60 million passengers annually. Company officials have hinted at plans to broaden the scope of robot duties in the future to include tasks such as cleaning aircraft cabins. However, critical safety management responsibilities will continue to be handled by human employees.
The trial is timely as Japan grapples with an unprecedented surge in tourism. Over 7 million visitors arrived in the first two months of 2026 alone, following a record-breaking 42.7 million in 2025. Despite the promising prospects, early demonstrations revealed certain limitations: the robots need to be recharged every two to three hours and their mobility is compromised in wet or icy conditions. JAL Ground Service President Yoshiteru Suzuki expressed that the robots would “inevitably reduce workers’ burden, providing significant benefits to employees” in this physically demanding environment.
Source: https://press.jal.co.jp/en/release/202604/009502.html