Japan Airlines to trial robots at Tokyo’s Haneda airport to load baggage
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 7: A Japan Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner departs Los Angeles International Airport bound for Tokyo on March 7, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
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Japan Airlines has begun testing humanoid robots for ground operations at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport amid a chronic labor shortage.
The airline is partnering with GMO AI & Robotics to trial robots for tasks such as baggage loading and cabin cleaning, starting in May, according to a joint statement. expression Monday.
The initiative comes at a time when Japan’s aviation industry is struggling with a shrinking workforce due to rising tourism demand and an aging population.
Japan Airlines said humanoid robots are expected to be gradually deployed at Haneda Airport and the trial period will last two years.
In a video demonstration of the technology, a humanoid robot manufactured by China’s Unitree is seen shifting a load along a conveyor belt, waving to onlookers and shaking the hand of a co-worker.
shares Japan Airlines It rose 3.4% on the first trading day of May but was trading around 13% lower so far this year.
Unitree, one of China’s leading robotics companies, introduced its flagship H1 model at a Kung Fu show with great fanfare at China’s Spring Festival Gala in February.
However, it is unclear whether Unitree is directly involved in the Haneda Airport trial or is part of a broader evaluation of commercially available humanoid technologies. Responding to CNBC’s questions, Japan Airlines said that “feasibility studies and risk assessments” are continuing.
Unitree did not respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.
Overcoming demographic challenges
Demographic trends such as rapidly aging populations and low fertility rates (specific to metropolises like Tokyo) are driving demand for humanoid robots, analysts say.
“Aging populations, labor shortages and changing worker preferences are opening the door for humanoids to take on essential – but often undesirable – roles in manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, healthcare and hospitality,” Barclays wrote in a research note in January.
Japan’s working-age population is expected to decline by 31% from 2023 to 2060. employment outlook by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Marc Einstein, research director at Counter Research, expects humanoid robots to play an increasing role in Japan’s workforce.
With Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s support base leaning on tougher immigration policies, Einstein expects the government to “highly encourage the deployment of humanoids in Japan.”
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan in March published guidelines On using robotics and artificial intelligence to tackle workforce challenges, including “a declining birth rate and a shrinking workforce due to an aging population.”
Data from the Japan National Tourism Organization showed international arrivals increased by 3.5% Pressure on airport operations increased in March compared to a year ago.
Obstacles continue
Einstein said the capabilities of humanoid robots have advanced significantly in recent years, with advances in joint dexterity and advances in artificial intelligence software enabling tasks that “they simply could not have done even a few years ago.”
Barclays has described physical robotics as the “next frontier” in AI development as firms look to combine physical automation with artificial intelligence. The bank estimates that the physical AI industry, currently valued at $2 billion to $3 billion, could grow to $1.4 trillion by 2035, according to a research note published in February.
In China, robotics firms such as Unitree, Agibot and Galbot, also known as Zhiyuan Robotics, are advancing affordable humanoid development and exploring initial public offerings to fund expansion plans and meet growing demand.
Hangzhou-based Unitree was the first firm to receive approval for an IPO application in March and plans to raise about 4.2 billion yuan ($614 million), according to a report. Shanghai Stock Exchange application.
Despite rapid technological progress, it remains unclear whether humanoid robots can fully address Japan’s chronic labor shortage.
Analysts previously told CNBC that humanoids still lack the dexterity needed for more delicate tasks and precise movements.
The programming and reasoning involved in humanoid technologies are largely underdeveloped, Einstein said. He added that the deployment of these humanoid robots will likely still require human intervention.
“These robots are not very smart yet,” Einstein said.
But given the speed at which companies are developing these technologies, Counterpoint estimates that larger-scale deployment shouldn’t take longer than five years.
— CNBC’s Evelyn Cheng contributed to this report.
