TOKYO — Japan Airlines (JL) will deploy humanoid robots for ground-handling tasks at Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND) starting from May, as human workers bear an increasing workload.
An uptick in tourists and a decline in the working-age population are causing a labor crisis and thus an increased workload for some 4,000 current ground-handling staff employed by the airline, JL told the BBC News portal.
The Japan National Tourism Organization reported over seven million visitors to Japan in the first two months of 2026, while last year, an all-time high of 42.7 million visitors were recorded.
“While airports appear highly automated and standardized, their back-end operations still rely heavily on human labor and face serious labor shortages,” said GMO AI & Robotics’ president, Tomohiro Uchida.
Multi-year trial project
JAL’s subsidiary, in cooperation with GMO AI & Robotics, will lead a two-year project to reduce pressure on staff and address labor shortages in Japan.
The phased test, starting in May, will first assess robots’ capability to safely operate at airports’ sites and later move to repeated operational checks to mirror real airport environment conditions.
Initially, robots will be used to load and unload cargo containers. The Japanese flag carrier hopes to expand the range of duties robots can perform, including cabin cleaning and operating ground support equipment in the future.
Using robots for physical tasks will “inevitably reduce the burden on workers and provide significant benefits to employees,” said Yoshiteru Suzuk, the president of JAL’s Ground Service, to Kyodo news agency. He added that certain responsibilities, including safety management, would remain the responsibility of human workers.
Humanoid robots are already being used across different airports in Japan for various tasks, including security patrol and retail.
First public demonstration
On Monday, the first media demonstration took place where Chinese-made robots, described as 130 cm tall and manufactured by Hangzhou-based Unitree, were seen carrying out work near the aircraft – pushing cargo on a conveyor belt and waving, reported news portal Guardian.
Companies explained that fixed automated systems and single-purpose robots “have had difficulty adapting flexibly to these existing infrastructures and complex operational workflows.” In contrast, humanoid robots can operate in existing airport facilities and aircraft layouts “without significant modifications.”