Topic analysis

Humanoid robots to be used as ground handlers in trial at Japan airport

Japan Airlines (JAL) will begin a two-year trial in May 2026 using Chinese-made humanoid robots for cargo container loading and unloading at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, intended to reduce ground staff workload amid Japan’s aviation labor crunch driven by rising inbound tourism and a shrinking working-age population. The carrier plans to expand the robots’ use to cabin cleaning and ground support equipment operation in the future, though safety management tasks will remain exclusive to human workers.