Plagued by a chronic labor shortage, Japan Airlines has begun testing humanoid robots at Tokyo's Haneda Airport for airport ground operations. A joint statement from the two parties was announced on Monday. JAL will join hands with GMO Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Company to pilot the use of humanoid robots to undertake tasks starting in May.Baggage loading and unloading, cabin cleaningWaiting for work.
The aging of Japan's population has led to a shrinking labor force, coupled with the continued rise in tourism demand, the manpower gap in the aviation industry has become increasingly severe. It is against this background that this pilot was launched.
JAL said that humanoid robots will be gradually deployed at Haneda Airport, and the pilot period will last two years.
In the technology demonstration video, the humanoid robot developed by China Yushu Technology can complete actions such as pushing goods to the conveyor belt, waving to the crowd of onlookers, and shaking hands with staff.
Japan Airlines' stock price rose about 2.97%, or 73 yen, on the first trading day in May; however, it has still fallen by about 13% overall this year.
Yushu Technology, a Chinese head robot company, has received widespread attention for its flagship H1 humanoid robot, which made a stunning debut with a kung fu performance at the 2026 CCTV Spring Festival Gala.
It is still unclear whether Yushu Technology will directly participate in the Haneda Airport pilot, or whether it will only be included in the comprehensive evaluation list of commercial robot technology. In response to CNBC’s inquiry, JAL responded that it was relevantFeasibility studies and risk assessmentsStill in progress.
Yushu Technology has not yet responded to CNBC’s request for comment.
Addressing demographic challenges
Analysts pointed out that large cities such as Tokyo are generally facingThe population is aging rapidly and the fertility rate is declining.Demographic issues such as these are forcing the market to increase demand for humanoid robots.
Barclays said in a January research report: "The aging population, labor shortages, and changes in workers' employment preferences have opened up application space for humanoid robots, which can take on jobs in the manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, medical, and hotel service industries that are necessary but that humans are unwilling to take."
Japan's working-age population is expected to shrink by 31% between 2023 and 2060, according to OECD Employment Outlook data. Mark Einstein, research director of market research firm Counterpoint, believes that the participation of humanoid robots in the Japanese labor market will continue to increase.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s governing support base is biasedTighten immigration policies, the industry expects that the Japanese government will vigorously support and promote the application of humanoid robots.
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry issued guidelines for the application of robots and artificial intelligence in March, aiming to deal with social employment problems such as the sharp decline in the labor force caused by the declining birthrate and aging population.
According to data from the Japan National Tourism Organization, the number of international inbound tourists increased by 3.5% year-on-year in March, further increasing the manpower pressure on airport operations.
There are still many obstacles to implementation
Einstein said that humanoid robots have made significant progress in joint flexibility and artificial intelligence algorithms in recent years, and are now able to complete tasks that were completely impossible a few years ago.
Barclays calls physical robotics the next step in AI developmentThe next frontier, major enterprises are working hard to deeply integrate physical automation and artificial intelligence. The bank’s February research report estimated that the current size of the physical AI industry is only US$2 billion to US$3 billion, and is expected to soar to US$1.4 trillion by 2035.
Entity AI: Refers to a system that integrates artificial intelligence and physical machines to complete real-world physical operations, covering fields such as humanoid robots and driverless driving.
In China, companies such as Yushu Technology, Zhiyuan Robot, and Galbot are accelerating the development of cost-effective humanoid robots and preparing for IPO fundraising to expand production capacity and match market growth demand.
Hangzhou-based Yushu Technology was the first to receive approval for its IPO application in March and plans to raise approximately 4.2 billion yuan (equivalent to US$614 million), according to documents disclosed by the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
Despite the rapid iteration of technology, it remains to be seen whether humanoid robots can completely solve Japan's chronic labor shortage.
Analysts previously told CNBC that existing robots still lack flexibility in fine operations and precise movements.
Einstein added that the program logic and autonomous reasoning technology of humanoid robots are not yet mature.Still inseparable from manual intervention and control.
He said bluntly: "At this stage, the intelligence of this type of robot is still limited."
However, judging from the progress of industry research and development, Counterpoint predicts that humanoid robots will achieve large-scale commercialization.Expected to be no more than five years.
Editor in charge: Guo Mingyu