Japan Airlines (JAL) will introduce robotic baggage handlers at Tokyo airport to speed up the process of loading and offloading aircraft.

Until now, baggage handling has been exclusively handled by humans alongside a complex suite of conveyor belts and trucks. JAL said that humanoid robots would be needed for the task as the limited space near aircraft requires the full degree of human motion. Being human-shaped also allows the robots to be introduced without significant modifications to existing airport facilities or aircraft structures.

In the future, JAL said it could deploy the robots across a range of tasks, from loading baggage to cabin cleaning, and even operating the specialised vehicles and equipment used at airports to service aircraft during turnarounds between flights.

The aviation sector is facing a serious challenge in ground handling labour shortages, which are particularly acute in Japan and Europe. This is because of factors such as an increase in inbound tourism coupled with a shrinking working-age population and a post-pandemic skills gap.

Some major hubs including London Heathrow have already deployed autonomous tugs and dollies to move luggage in a bid to reduce the number of human drivers needed. 

JAL said that its proposing a “demonstration experiment” to verify the potential for humanoid robots to achieve labour savings and workload reduction in ground handling operations. Commencing next month, initial operations will be limited to areas where robots can safely operate without causing too much havoc in the event of a mishap. But it ultimately plans to simulate a realistic airport environment to train robots more comprehensively for broader deployment.