On April 27, JAL and GMO AI & Robotics Trading (GMO AIR) began a demonstration experiment for the use of humanoid robots in airport ground handling operations.
Since conventional fixed automation equipment and single-function robots cannot flexibly respond to complex work flow lines, the company is focusing on humanoid robots. The company aims to reduce manpower and improve efficiency by having the robot adapt to the existing equipment without major changes.
Currently, many operations in ground handling are based on human manual labor, but in the future, the company will consider general-purpose operation, even loading cargo and operating GSE (special vehicles).
The period of the demonstration experiment is scheduled from May 2026 to 2028. In the initial stage, visualization and analysis of airport operations will be conducted to identify areas where humanoids can operate. After that, actual operation verification will be conducted to realize the operational system. The target airport is Haneda, and areas currently under consideration include baggage and cargo loading/unloading and cabin cleaning.
Tomohiro Uchida, President of GMO AIR, who gave an overview of the project, said, “The Internet was fast, but AI and robotics are growing even faster, and 2026 is the first year of the humanoid era. I am excited to work with JAL on this project. I am thrilled to be working with JAL on this project. The front side of airports (visible to passengers) has been automated and streamlined considerably, but the back side still requires human hands, and we would like to replace them with humanoids.
Mr. Tomoya Yoshioka of the Ground Handling Planning Department, JAL Ground Service, pointed out two advantages of the humanoid robot: “It can be used with existing infrastructure” because it is humanoid with arms and legs, without the need to build dedicated facilities; and “One humanoid robot can perform multiple roles” because it can be switched to perform various tasks by switching programs. The other is that “a single unit can perform multiple roles” because it can handle a variety of tasks by switching programs.
First, we will proceed with the demonstration to have humanoids handle part of the container transfer. This procedure can be roughly divided into four phases: packing the checked baggage into the container, transporting the container to the vicinity of the aircraft in a special vehicle, rotating the container against a high-lift loader, releasing the stopper, and sending the container out, and then The high-lift loader loads the container into the aircraft.
The first step in this project is the third step above, which is to develop humanoids for tasks such as gripping a lever with some firmness and tipping it in the opposite direction, rotating a container while stepping on the lever with a foot, and pushing a heavy container full of cargo toward a loader.
The release also mentions “in-flight cleaning” as an area of study, but the company is considering a roadmap in which it will first develop container transport, and if things go more smoothly than expected, it will start working on other areas.
© Source travel watch