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Recruiting
Level 4 autonomous towing tractor trials at Haneda (JAL and Toyota Industries)
Japan Airlines and Toyota Industries announced on October 30 that they will start trials in November 2026 to expand Level 4 autonomous towing at Tokyo Haneda, meaning fully unmanned operation under specific conditions, using a towing tractor built by Toyota Industries. JAL has run a Level 4 autonomous towing tractor commercially at Haneda since December 15, 2025, using shared signals and cameras installed by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau. The new routes include tunnel sections, which the companies say are much harder than today's routes, and the trials will also test coordination with new shared infrastructure the bureau is building. The stated goals are better efficiency and lower labor demands in ground handling, with electric vehicles cutting emissions, and the companies have an eye on airports nationwide.
Why it can make you money
Every baggage and cargo run a tractor makes on its own is a driver you do not have to hire, train and schedule, at a time when ramp staff are the hardest people to keep. Watch how JAL handles the tunnel routes, because mixed traffic and poor sight lines are where most airports will struggle. If you run ground handling, start by counting the repeat routes that never change; those are the first candidates for driverless towing.
- Pricing
- Not published; trials with JAL
- External link
- https://www.toyota-industries.com/
- Source
- https://www.toyota-industries.com/news/2026/10/30/009103/index.html