Japan Airlines (JAL) is introducing a new development at Tokyo’s airports. Since May, it has begun testing the use of humanoid robots for ground handling operations at Haneda Airport, as part of a two-year program aimed at reducing employees’ workload and improving process efficiency.
In the initial phase, Chinese-made robots will be used to load and unload cargo containers. The robots were presented by JAL in collaboration with GMO AI & Robotics, the partner company involved in the project.
Japan’s aviation industry is facing a significant labour shortage, attributed both to the rise in inbound tourism and to demographic ageing and a shrinking working-age population. JAL employs around 4,000 staff in ground services.
The company is considering expanding the use of robots to other functions in the future, such as aircraft cabin cleaning and operating ground support equipment, as part of broader process automation.
The use of robots is not new at Japanese airports, as they are already deployed in areas such as security and retail, enhancing operations and organisation within airport facilities.
Japan recorded more than seven million foreign visitors in just the first two months of the year, according to data from JTB Group, reflecting a strong recovery in tourism.
Although airports are becoming increasingly automated, industry officials note that many operations still rely on human labour, which is currently in short supply. As highlighted, robots can provide meaningful support in physically demanding tasks, but critical processes related to safety remain exclusively under human responsibility.
This article first appeared, in Greek, in Hermes Airports' online newsletter Flight Mode. Click here to view it.
