JAL, GMO to test using humanoid robots for airport ground operations

TOKYO - Japan Airlines Co. and GMO Internet Group Inc. said Monday they will launch a demonstration experiment using humanoid robots to move passengers' luggage at Tokyo's Haneda airport in May, to verify their potential for achieving labor efficiency in ground handling operations.

The project, which is scheduled to run through 2028, comes as travel demand expands, driven partly by growing inbound tourism, while labor shortages in airport ground operations are likely to become more severe as Japan's population continues to age.