Humanoid robots will be tested to work at a Japanese airport, as the country faces a severe labor shortage.

Written by Andriely Medeiros de Araújo

Published on 03/05/2026 at 12:05

1 person reacted to this.

Japan Airlines humanoid robots begin operating at Tokyo airport to address labor shortages in the sector.

In May, Japan Airlines will launch a two-year pilot project with humanoid robots at Haneda Airport in Japan. The initiative will initially be applied to cargo handling, with plans for expansion to cabin cleaning and runway equipment operation. The project emerges as a direct response to the country’s shrinking workforce, caused by an aging population and a significant increase in international tourism. The robots were developed in partnership with GMO AI & Robotics.

Humanoid robots at the airport start with the heaviest tasks

In the initial phase, humanoid robots at the airport will be responsible for intense physical activities, such as moving cargo containers. During a demonstration for the press, the machines performed these tasks in a controlled environment, showcasing the technology’s potential.

The choice to start with cargo operations is not random. These functions require constant physical effort and are considered less attractive to human workers, especially in a scenario of labor shortage.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Worker shortage drives the use of humanoid robots

The advancement of humanoid robots is directly linked to a structural change in Japan. The country faces two simultaneous factors:

Accelerated population aging
Growth of international tourism

According to JTB Group data, over 7 million foreign visitors arrived in Japan in just the first two months of 2025. This increase puts pressure on airports and services, demanding more workers — something the local market cannot supply.

According to Tomohiro Uchida, the situation is already critical. He highlighted that, despite the modern and automated appearance of airports, a large part of operations still heavily relies on human labor.

Watch the video

Japan Airlines bets on humanoid robots as a sustainable solution

For Japan Airlines, the use of humanoid robots at the airport goes beyond an emergency solution. The company sees the initiative as a long-term strategy to improve working conditions.

According to Yoshiteru Suzuki, the proposal is to reduce the physical burden on employees by transferring heavier tasks to machines. However, he emphasized that critical functions, especially those related to safety, will continue to be performed exclusively by humans.

Function comparison: humans vs. robots at the airport

Task type	Current responsible	Future responsible (project)
Heavy cargo handling	Humans	Humanoid robots
Cabin cleaning	Humans	Robots (in testing)
Equipment operation	Humans	Robots (planned)
Security management	Humans	Exclusively humans

Expansion could transform airports in Japan

Although the use of robots in airports is not new — models are already used for security and public assistance — the differentiator of this project lies in its scale and type of activity.

The introduction of humanoid robots at the airport for heavy operational functions represents a significant advance. Should the results at Haneda be positive, the expectation is that the technology will be adopted by other airlines.

This possibility gains strength in the face of a common problem in the sector: the growing difficulty of hiring. Thus, the project can become a reference not only in Japan, but also in other countries facing similar challenges.

With information from EXAME

Humanoid robots will be tested to work at a Japanese airport, as the country faces a severe labor shortage.

Japan Airlines humanoid robots begin operating at Tokyo airport to address labor shortages in the sector.

Humanoid robots at the airport start with the heaviest tasks

Worker shortage drives the use of humanoid robots

Japan Airlines bets on humanoid robots as a sustainable solution

Function comparison: humans vs. robots at the airport

Expansion could transform airports in Japan

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

Study solves great ancient mystery: remains of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, are identified in Vergina and resolves the enigma of the Macedonian royal tombs that had lasted half a century.

Larger than the Toyota Hilux and with a towing capacity of 3.5 tons, the new MG U9 2026 features a 2.5 turbodiesel engine, 520 Nm, 4×4 traction with three locks, and an almost full-size build.

For the first time in history, a submarine cable will descend to four thousand meters deep under the ice of the North Pole to ensure that the internet between Europe and Asia no longer depends on conflict zones in the Middle East.

While the world discusses geopolitics, China is quietly closing a deal with its Kazakh neighbor to secure grain supplies during any global food crisis, with more than 3,600 Kazakh companies already able to export directly to the Chinese market.

A British company has installed in the middle of the ocean the world’s first floating platform that generates electricity 24 hours a day from the temperature difference between the surface and the depths of the Atlantic, without relying on wind or sun.

Amid the United States’ economic blockade, China delivers 15,000 tons of rice to Cuba as part of a 60,000-ton donation personally approved by Xi Jinping. The package includes 80 million dollars and solar panels for hospitals.

The James Webb telescope spotted a planet 700 light-years from Earth with mornings full of sand clouds and nights with clear skies, the temperature difference between the two hemispheres reaches an impressive 170 degrees.

Humanoid robots will be tested to work at a Japanese airport, as the country faces a severe labor shortage.

Japan Airlines humanoid robots begin operating at Tokyo airport to address labor shortages in the sector.

Humanoid robots at the airport start with the heaviest tasks

Worker shortage drives the use of humanoid robots

Japan Airlines bets on humanoid robots as a sustainable solution

Function comparison: humans vs. robots at the airport

Expansion could transform airports in Japan

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

Study solves great ancient mystery: remains of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, are identified in Vergina and resolves the enigma of the Macedonian royal tombs that had lasted half a century.

Larger than the Toyota Hilux and with a towing capacity of 3.5 tons, the new MG U9 2026 features a 2.5 turbodiesel engine, 520 Nm, 4×4 traction with three locks, and an almost full-size build.

For the first time in history, a submarine cable will descend to four thousand meters deep under the ice of the North Pole to ensure that the internet between Europe and Asia no longer depends on conflict zones in the Middle East.

A British company has installed in the middle of the ocean the world’s first floating platform that generates electricity 24 hours a day from the temperature difference between the surface and the depths of the Atlantic, without relying on wind or sun.

The James Webb telescope spotted a planet 700 light-years from Earth with mornings full of sand clouds and nights with clear skies, the temperature difference between the two hemispheres reaches an impressive 170 degrees.

A former Hong Kong police officer has just become the first astronaut from her city to go to space. She embarked on the Shenzhou-23 mission alongside two other colleagues who will face muscle atrophy, radiation, and prolonged fatigue in orbit.

For the first time in history, a submarine cable will descend to four thousand meters deep under the ice of the North Pole to ensure that the internet between Europe and Asia no longer depends on conflict zones in the Middle East.

While the world discusses geopolitics, China is quietly closing a deal with its Kazakh neighbor to secure grain supplies during any global food crisis, with more than 3,600 Kazakh companies already able to export directly to the Chinese market.

A British company has installed in the middle of the ocean the world’s first floating platform that generates electricity 24 hours a day from the temperature difference between the surface and the depths of the Atlantic, without relying on wind or sun.

Amid the United States’ economic blockade, China delivers 15,000 tons of rice to Cuba as part of a 60,000-ton donation personally approved by Xi Jinping. The package includes 80 million dollars and solar panels for hospitals.

The James Webb telescope spotted a planet 700 light-years from Earth with mornings full of sand clouds and nights with clear skies, the temperature difference between the two hemispheres reaches an impressive 170 degrees.