JAL, Toyota Industries to test autonomous tractor on harder Haneda route from November 2026

JAL already began practical use of a Level 4 autonomous towing tractor at Haneda Airport on December 15, 2025, using shared infrastructure such as signals and cameras built by the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. That rollout was described at the time as the first domestic simultaneous practical use at two airports, Haneda and Narita. The new verification builds on that base by moving to a route with a tunnel section, which the companies say is more difficult than the current route and has significantly different driving environment and operating conditions.

The partners plan to use Toyota Industries' knowledge from its existing track record at Haneda to examine what is needed for Level 4 transport work under these specific conditions, and how to coordinate with shared infrastructure the Aviation Bureau is newly building. Stated goals go beyond efficiency and staffing savings to include lower environmental impact from electric vehicles, and the companies say they are looking ahead to applying autonomous towing technology at airports nationwide.