Tech JAL tests humanoid robots at Haneda Airport as labour shortages deepen

[thomas]

Japan Airlines has started testing humanoid robots for ground work at Haneda Airport, as labour shortages continue to weigh on operations. The airline said it is working with GMO AI & Robotics to trial the machines from May. The plan is to use them for routine tasks such as loading baggage and cleaning aircraft cabins. Details are still limited, but the scope appears fairly practical rather than experimental.

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The move comes as Japan's aviation sector struggles to keep up with demand. Visitor numbers have been rising again, and staffing has not kept pace. An ageing population is a big part of that, and airlines say it is getting harder to fill ground roles in particular.

Japan Airlines said the humanoid robots are expected to be deployed progressively across Haneda Airport, with the trial lasting for two years. In a video demonstration of the technology, a humanoid robot produced by China's Unitree can be seen sliding a payload across a conveyor belt, waving to onlookers, and shaking a coworker's hand.

Japan Airlines begins humanoid robot trials at Tokyo's Haneda airport as labor shortages bite

Tokyo's Haneda Airport is beginning a trial of humanoid robots in airport ground services amid chronic labor challenges and a rapidly ageing workforce.

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