In a move aimed at easing operational strain, Japan Airlines (JAL) is preparing to introduce humanoid robots at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs. The trial is scheduled to begin in May and will continue until 2028, as part of efforts to tackle the country’s growing labor shortage amid rising inbound tourism.
The robots, developed by Unitree Robotics, are designed to handle physically demanding tasks such as moving luggage and cargo on the tarmac. Standing around 130cm tall, these machines were recently demonstrated pushing cargo onto a conveyor belt beside a JAL passenger aircraft. Yoshiteru Suzuki, President of JAL Ground Service, said these machines would, “inevitably reduce the burden on workers and provide significant benefits to employees.”
Despite their capabilities, the robots will not replace human workers in critical areas like safety management, which will remain under human supervision. The deployment comes as Japan deals with a sharp increase in foreign visitors and a shrinking, aging population. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), more than 7 million tourists visited the country in the first 2 months of 2026.
Japan is also facing a widening workforce gap. Estimates suggest the country will require over 6.5 million foreign workers by 2040 to sustain economic growth. However, after a surge in foreign population in recent years, the government is now under political pressure to tighten immigration controls. Tomohiro Uchida of GMO AI and Robotics noted that while airports appear highly automated, their backend operations still depend heavily on human labor and are experiencing serious shortages.
The humanoid robots can operate continuously for 2 to 3 hours and may later be assigned additional duties such as cleaning aircraft cabins. This initiative reflects a broader shift toward automation in sectors traditionally reliant on manual precision. If successful, the trial could open the door for wider adoption across airports and other industries.
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