Japan Airlines Unveils Robot Helpers to Boost Airport Ground Crew Power

Japan Airlines is starting a new project at Tokyo's Haneda airport, where they will use humanoid robots to help with ground handling tasks. This trial will begin in May and last for two years. The main goal is to reduce the workload for airport employees, especially since there are not enough workers to handle all the jobs. The robots, which are made in China, will first be used to load and unload cargo containers from airplanes. Japan Airlines is working with GMO AI & Robotics on this project, and they showed the robots to the media during a demonstration.

Japan's aviation industry is facing a shortage of workers. This is because more tourists are coming to Japan, but the number of people who can work is going down. Japan Airlines has about 4,000 ground handling staff, but they still need more help. The company hopes that in the future, these robots can also be used to clean airplane cabins and operate ground support equipment. In fact, robots are already being used in some Japanese airports for things like security patrols and helping customers in stores. According to JTB Group, more than seven million foreign visitors came to Japan in just the first two months of this year, which shows how busy airports are becoming.

Tomohiro Uchida, the president of GMO AI & Robotics, said that even though airports look very modern and automated, many jobs still depend on people. There are serious shortages of workers, especially for jobs that are physically demanding. Using robots for these tasks can make a big difference for employees, making their work easier and less tiring. Yoshiteru Suzuk, the president of JAL's Ground Service, agreed that robots can help with heavy work, but he also pointed out that some important jobs, like safety management, still need to be done by humans. Japan Airlines hopes that this trial will show how robots and people can work together to make airports run more smoothly and efficiently.