Japan Airlines and a Tokyo-based tech company next month will begin testing robots for passenger luggage handling as part of efforts to improve efficiency in ground services, the firms announced Tuesday.
The demonstration at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, done with GMO Internet Group through 2028, comes amid rising travel demand—partly fueled by increasing inbound tourism—and a growing shortage of workers in airport ground operations linked to Japan’s aging population.
The initiative, described as the first of its kind in Japan, will be carried out by JAL Ground Service, which oversees tasks such as cargo handling and aircraft guidance, in collaboration with GMO AI & Robotics, a firm focused on advancing artificial intelligence and robotics in society.
Yoshiteru Suzuki, the president of JAL Ground Service, said introducing robots to physically demanding duties is expected to ease the workload on employees, while emphasizing that certain responsibilities, including safety management, will continue to require human involvement.
GMO AI & Robotics President Tomohiro Uchida said that although airports appear highly automated, many backend operations still depend heavily on manual labor and face acute staffing shortages.
He added that the company aims to help mitigate these challenges through the deployment of humanoid robotics.
The companies also plan to explore broader applications for the technology, including aircraft cabin cleaning, in future phases.
The robots to be used in the trial are manufactured in China and are currently capable of operating continuously for two to three hours.
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