India, April 28 --  Japan is moving one step closer to a fully automated aviation ecosystem as humanoid robots are being tested for baggage handling at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. The pilot project, led by Japan Airlines in partnership with GMO Internet Group, reflects a practical response to a growing labour shortage and rising passenger traffic. Haneda alone handles over 60 million passengers annually, putting steady pressure on ground operations that depend heavily on manual labour.

Rising Pressure on Airport Operations

Japan's aviation sector is under strain from two simultaneous trends: record tourism and workforce decline. In early 2026 alone, more than 7 million international visitors entered the country in just two months and a...