technology
Japan Airlines to Trial Chinese-Made Humanoid Robots for Luggage at Haneda Airport in May
Japan Airlines will introduce humanoid robots on a trial basis at Tokyo's Haneda airport starting in May 2026 to handle luggage and cargo. The initiative, in partnership with GMO Internet Group, aims to address labor shortages amid rising tourism. The trial runs until 2028 and includes plans for tasks like cabin cleaning.
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Japan Airlines will introduce Chinese-made humanoid robots on a trial basis at Tokyo’s Haneda airport from the beginning of May 2026 to move travelers’ luggage and cargo on the tarmac. The robots, manufactured by Hangzhou-based Unitree, stand 130cm tall and can operate continuously for two to three hours.
A demonstration for the media this week showed one robot pushing cargo onto a conveyor belt next to a JAL passenger plane and waving to an unseen colleague.
The trial, set to end in 2028, involves a partnership between Japan Airlines and GMO Internet Group. Yoshiteru Suzuki, president of JAL Ground Service, said using robots for physically demanding work would inevitably reduce the burden on workers and provide significant benefits to employees, according to the Kyodo news agency.
Suzuki stated that certain key tasks, such as safety management, would continue to be performed by humans.
The firms plan to use the robots for other tasks, including cleaning aircraft cabins. Haneda airport handles more than 60 million passengers a year. More than 7 million people visited Japan in the first two months of 2026, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation.
7 million people visited Japan in 2025, despite a drop in visitors from China triggered by a diplomatic row between Tokyo and Beijing. 5 million foreign workers in 2040 to reach its growth targets, according to one estimate.
