Humanoid robots are getting a new gig as baggage handlers and cargo loaders at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport—part of a Japan Airlines experiment to address a human labor shortage as airport visitor numbers have surged in recent years.
The demonstration, set to launch in May 2026, could eventually test humanoid robots in a wide range of airport tasks, including cleaning aircraft cabins and possibly handling ground support equipment such as baggage carts, according to a Japan Airlines press release. The trials are scheduled to run until 2028, which suggests that travelers flying into or out of Tokyo may spot some of the robots at work.
This marks the latest foray for humanoid robots after they have already begun pilot-testing in workplaces such as automotive factories and warehouses. Most robotic productivity so far has relied on robotic arms and similarly specialized robots that perform the same predictable tasks on assembly lines and in warehouses. By comparison, humanoid robots face a much stiffer challenge in dealing with more open and unpredictable work environments, and it remains to be seen whether the latest robotic software and hardware will be up to the task.
Japan Airlines is interested in testing whether humanoid robots powered by some of the latest AI models can adapt more readily to human work environments—such as airports—without requiring dedicated work stations or other significant workplace modifications. The airline’s subsidiary, JAL Ground Service, has teamed up with GMO AI & Robotics Corporation to oversee the demonstration.
The Japanese companies will test the G1 robot and Walker E robot from Chinese companies Unitree Robotics and UBTECH Robotics, according to The Asia Business Daily. Humanoid robots still typically cost tens of thousands of dollars per unit despite Chinese robotics manufacturers scaling up mass production, although the Unitree G1 robot costs as low as $13,500 for the baseline model.
A new video from an apparently staged demonstration in an aircraft hangar shows one of the humanoid robots tottering up to a large, metal cargo container and making a vague pushing gesture. But the cargo container only begins to move once a human worker starts the conveyor belt to move the container toward the aircraft.
Presumably, the robots will need to put in much more effective work if they’re to prove as productive as human airport workers. Having robots working directly alongside humans will also introduce new safety considerations for airports like Haneda Airport, which is Japan’s second-largest airport, with flights arriving approximately every two minutes. The first step in the pilot program will involve identifying which airport areas will be safest for humanoid robots.
Cost-effective robotic assistance could prove welcome for Japan’s airports, which have struggled with a worsening human labor shortage. In December 2023, Tokyo’s Narita Airport was reportedly unable to respond to more than 30 percent of requested flights each week because of staff shortages involving cargo handlers and other ground crew, according to The Mainichi. Japanese government data showed that ground crew numbers across Japan fell from 26,300 to 23,700 between March 2019 and September 2023.
