Japan Airlines will trial robots at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to load luggage

Japan Airlines has begun testing humanoid robots to work on the ground at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport amid a chronic labor shortage.

The airline partnered with GMO AI & Robotics to test robots for tasks such as loading luggage and cleaning cabins starting in May, according to a joint statement on Monday.

The move comes as Japan’s aviation sector is struggling due to rising tourism demand and a shrinking workforce, driven by an aging population.

Japan Airlines said the humanoid robots are expected to be continuously deployed at Haneda Airport, with the trial lasting two years.

In a video demonstration of the technology, a humanoid robot manufactured by China’s Unitree is seen moving a payload across a conveyor belt, waving to onlookers, and shaking hands with a co-worker.

Shares of Japan Airlines rose 3.4% on the first trading day of May, but has been trading about 13% lower so far this year.

Unitree, one of China’s leading robotics companies, debuted its H1 model at a Kung Fu exhibition at China’s Spring Festival Gala in February to great fanfare.

However, it is not clear whether Unitree is directly involved in the Haneda Airport test or is part of a wider test of commercially available humanoid technology. In response to CNBC’s questions, Japan Airlines said “feasibility studies and risk assessments” are ongoing.

Unitree did not respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.

Analysts say demographic trends such as rapid population growth and low fertility rates – typical of big cities like Tokyo – are driving demand for humanoid robots.

“Aging demographics, labor shortages, and changing labor preferences open the door for humanoids to play an important — but often overlooked — role in manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, healthcare and hospitality,” Barclays wrote in a January research note.

Japan’s working-age population is expected to decline by 31 percent from 2023 to 2060, according to the employment outlook of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Marc Einstein, research director from Counter Research, expects humanoid robots to play an increasing role in the Japanese workforce.

With Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi supporting a base based on strict immigration policies, Einstein expects the government to “greatly encourage the export of humanoids to Japan.”

In March, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry published guidelines on the use of robotics and artificial intelligence to address workforce challenges, including “labor shortages caused by declining birth rates and population aging.”

Data from Japan’s National Tourism Organization showed that foreign arrivals rose 3.5% in March from a year earlier, increasing pressure on airport operations.

The capabilities of humanoid robots have greatly improved in recent years, with advances in collective intelligence and advances in AI software enabling tasks “they wouldn’t have been able to do even a few years ago,” Einstein said.

Barclays has described wearable robots as the “next frontier” in AI development, as firms seek to combine virtual automation with artificial intelligence. The bank estimates that the virtual AI industry — currently valued at $2 billion to $3 billion — could grow to $1.4 trillion by 2035, according to a February research note.

Physical AI refers to systems that combine AI and machines that can perform practical, real-world tasks, from robots to driverless cars.

In China, robotics firms such as Unitree, Agibot, also known as Zhiyuan Robotics, and Galbot are developing affordable humanoid robots and testing initial public offerings to fund their expansion plans and meet growing demand.

In March, Hangzhou-based Unitree became the first such company to receive approval for its IPO application and plans to raise about 4.2 billion yuan ($614 million), according to the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Despite rapid technological progress, it remains unclear whether humanoid robots can fully address Japan’s chronic labor shortage.

Analysts once told CNBC that humanoids still lack the intelligence for more delicate tasks and precise movements.

Einstein said that the programming and thinking involved in humanoid technology remains largely undeveloped. The deployment of these humanoid robots will likely still require human involvement, he added.

“These robots, they are not intelligent yet,” Einstein said.

Given the speed at which firms have developed these technologies, however, Counterpoint estimates that large-scale deployments should not exceed five years.

— CNBC’s Evelyn Cheng contributed to this report.