日本語 
Japan’s aviation industry is taking another step toward digitally connected airport operations. All Nippon Airways (ANA) has begun rolling out telepresence robots that allow staff at Kansai International Airport to remotely assist passengers at regional airports, creating a new model for delivering customer service across locations.
The initiative, launched with robotics company avatarin, uses the company’s “newme” telepresence robots to connect passengers with ANA staff who may be hundreds of kilometers away. ANA says it is the first Japanese airline to introduce inter-airport remote passenger support using this type of system.
The move is particularly significant for Japan, where regional airports face challenges associated with limited staffing, uneven passenger volumes and growing inbound tourism.
Turning One Team Into a Regional Support Network
Under the new model, skilled ANA employees based at Kansai International Airport can respond to passenger questions at regional airports through remotely operated newme robots.
The service began at Hiroshima Airport on August 21, with further deployments planned at Tsushima, Tottori, Nagasaki and Komatsu airports through October. The robots can help passengers with practical questions such as locating check-in machines, finding airport facilities and navigating the terminal.
This approach changes the economics of airport staffing. Instead of requiring every regional airport to maintain the same level of specialist personnel throughout the day, expertise can potentially be shared across several locations.
For Japan’s transportation industry, that could become an important model as companies look for ways to maintain service levels without simply increasing frontline headcount.
Data Makes the Robot More Than a Remote Receptionist
The technology is also valuable because it creates a digital layer around passenger interactions.
ANA and avatarin tested the concept at Haneda Airport, analyzing more than 25,000 customer interactions. The trial recorded a 98.4% resolution rate for inquiries handled remotely, demonstrating that many passenger questions could be addressed without face-to-face assistance.
The data generated through the new system could become just as important as the robot itself. ANA plans to gather, analyze and visualize passenger inquiry trends at regional airports. That information can help identify recurring problems, improve airport layouts and refine customer-support operations.
This creates a feedback loop: passengers ask questions, the system captures the interaction, ANA identifies patterns and the airline can adjust its services accordingly.
Japan’s Robotics Industry Gets a Practical Use Case
The ANA initiative shows that Japan’s robotics sector is moving beyond factory automation.
Industrial robots have long been linked to manufacturing. Telepresence systems show a new path for the market: robots acting as bridges between people and workplaces that are spread out.
For technology companies this opens chances in robotics hardware, computer vision, speech interfaces, remote‑control systems, connectivity, cloud platforms and AI‑based customer‑service analytics.
The aviation environment could also become a test ground. Robots working in terminals must provide reliable communication, clear audio and video intuitive interaction and safe movement around passengers. Better performance in these areas could later help hospitals, hotels, shopping centers, public facilities and other transportation networks.
Remote Expertise Could Help Regional Japan
The wider economic impact could be even larger outside Japan’s cities.
Regional airports often face changes in passenger traffic. Keeping skilled staff at every site can be hard especially during downtime between flights or off‑peak hours. ANA’s centralized approach lets specialist employees help locations instead of staying tied to one terminal.
The system can also meet the needs of visitors. Kyodo reported that ANA plans to use employees who’re skilled, at communicating with foreign passengers letting that knowledge reach more regional airports.
This is crucial as Japan keeps promoting tourism beyond Tokyo, Osaka and other major destinations.
A Model for Human-Robot Collaboration
ANA’s strategy is not simply about replacing airport employees with machines. The robot acts as a physical presence while the actual customer interaction remains human-led.
That distinction could be important for the future of service-sector automation in Japan. Rather than fully autonomous machines handling every interaction, businesses can combine human judgment with robotic mobility and digital connectivity.
ANA has described the initiative as part of its strategy to integrate human hospitality with digital technology.
For Japan’s technology industry, that model may prove highly relevant. As labor shortages intensify, the most practical applications of robotics may not eliminate people from the service process. Instead, they may allow experienced employees to serve more customers, more locations and more consistently.
ANA’s newme deployment therefore represents more than an airport innovation. It is a glimpse of how Japan could build digitally connected service networks in which human expertise is no longer restricted by physical location.
English