Humanoid robots start sorting luggage in Tokyo airport test amid labor shortage

Tokyo-area airports are testing humanoid robots from Unitree and UBTECH for luggage and cargo handling to ease severe ground-crew shortages.

The trial includes the G1 and Walker E robots at Haneda and Narita, where airport operators are exploring automation support for routine tasks.

An early demo showed the robot moving cargo only with human assistance, underscoring how limited the current real-world capability still is.

The test matters because robots could help keep airport operations running if they can work safely and reliably around busy aircraft areas.