Why you might see a robot handling your luggage next time you fly
It might be the last thing you'd expect to see out of a plane window, but the future has arrived. The robots have been deployed.
Japan Airlines has announced it will begin a two-year experiment in May using humanoid robots as baggage handlers.
Manufactured by China's Unitree robotics, the robotic luggage crew will debut at Tokyo's Haneda airport, which handles more than 60 million passengers per year.
READ MORE: Airline rules on portable chargers explained, as major airline introduces new ban
Humanoid robots are being used as baggage handlers in Japan. Reuters
Japan Airlines said the trial comes in response to a surge in inbound tourism to the country and a worsening labour shortage.
"The aviation industry faces a serious challenge in ground handling labour shortages due to factors such as an increase in inbound tourism coupled with a declining working-age population," a press release read.
READ MORE: The 'best of the best' travel destination in the world is right on our doorstep
A demonstration was put on this week, which saw a 130-centimetre robot pushing cargo onto a conveyor belt next to a passenger plane.
The robot was also seen waving and interacting with a human colleague.
Using robots for more physically demanding tasks will "provide significant benefits to employees", said Yoshiteru Suzuki, president of JAL's Ground Service, as reported by Kyodo news agency.
READ MORE: Where Aussie families are heading to escape winter - and it's not Queensland
The robots were seen "pushing" cargo onto a conveyor belt. Reuters
They also interacted with human colleagues. Reuters
If the dry run is successful, these automated staff members could potentially become a more permanent part of the workflow by 2027.
"Being human-shaped allows their introduction without significant modifications to existing airport facilities or aircraft structures," the airline said.
In the future, the robots are expected to be used across a wide range of tasks, including cabin cleaning.
The full experiment is scheduled to run until 2028.
Japan remains a major travel hotspot for Aussie travellers. Getty
Over 1 million Australians visited Japan last year, marking a 15 per cent increase in visitor numbers YoY, as the country records another bumper year in tourism.
But for the first time, Japan has overtaken Indonesia as Australians' favourite Asian destination.
According to inbound and outbound travel data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Japan was the most popular Asian holiday spot for February 2026.
