Airport Robots Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Humanoid and Non-Humanoid), By Application (Landside/Valet Parking and Terminal (Airport Security and Cleaning, Boarding Pass Scanning, Airport Baggage System, and Passenger Guidance), and Regional Forecast, 2021-2028

The global airport robots market size was USD 460.0 million in 2020 and is projected to grow from USD 486.0 million in 2021 to USD 876.3 million in 2028 at a CAGR of 8.8% during the 2021-2028 period. The global impact of COVID-19 has been unprecedented and staggering, with airport robots witnessing a negative impact on demand across all regions amid the pandemic. Based on our analysis, the global market exhibited a lower growth of 6.24% in 2020 as compared to the average year-on-year growth during 2017-2019. The rise in CAGR is attributable to this market’s demand and growth, returning to pre-pandemic levels once the pandemic is over.

The robot industry witnessed an increase in demand for autonomous robots worldwide for airport passenger services and security applications. These robots assist airport workers in interacting with passengers and providing assistance at the airport. Moreover, the robot facial recognition system helps to do contactless boarding at the airport. Furthermore, the airport's authority of developed and developing regions is conducting trials using robots to provide travelers with information, direction, and entertainment.

Airport robots also provide cleaning, security, and baggage loading and unloading services. The growing use of robots at airports worldwide is propelling the industry forward in the future. In the years ahead, the adoption of advanced technology robots to improve airport services results in a better customer experience. As a result, the market is likely to develop due to the increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and catboats for processing airline bookings and inquiries.

COVID-19 IMPACT

Decreased Air Passenger Traffic amid COVID-19 to Register Negative Growth

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the multiple scenarios of the aviation industry and for the market. The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in months of lockdown and stringent international and domestic travel regulations. As a result, the number of air passengers decreases drastically. According to IATA data, the Asia Pacific and North America markets were highly impacted in March, with passenger volumes falling by 71.5%. In addition, the lockdown situation has resulted in halted airport robot production.

Moreover, the procurement of new robots for airport has also been suspended during the pandemic as several airports failed to generate considerable revenue. This factor led to limited investment in new procurement. However, to overcome the impact of COVID-19 several airport authorities have planned to deploy fully autonomous robots for airport operation to reduce COVID-19 spread and the number of workers employed to provide cleaning services or other ground handling services. The deployment of airport robot cleaners, passenger guidance robots, or baggage carrying robots can reduce airport operating costs. In July 2020, Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan announced that it deployed a cleaning robot. This robot can clean the entire room within 10-15 minutes and uses ultraviolet light to disinfect the surface. Human workers will not match this speediness in work.

AIRPORT ROBOT MARKET LATEST TRENDS

Rising Development of Smart Airports and Integration of Modern Technologies to Enhance Airport Services is a Key Market Trend

In recent years, the development of smart airports has grown considerably with the introduction of innovative technologies as they help to enhance passenger experiences. Moreover, the governments in the developed countries are looking forward to investing in smart airport and green airports initiatives to reduce the adverse effects on the environment. Furthermore, smart parking is an evolving concept in these airports. Thus, this will boost the demand for airport operation specific robots. In addition, the aviation sector is witnessing colossal transformation, owing to the emergence of AI, Machine Learning, IoT, and AR. In 2019, the U.K. Government invested USD 1.9 million into developing new AI systems to improve security and lessen the waiting times across some of the UK’s busiest airports. These investment helps to expand the market size during the forecast period.

Furthermore, Incheon Airport of South Korea installed a second-generation guide Airstar robot. Airstar is the world’s first commercialized airport guide robot with self-driving, voice recognition, and artificial intelligence technology. Moreover, the Indian airport has the “RADA” robot of Vistara airlines installed in 2018 at Delhi International Airport. Munich International Airport in Germany has a humanoid robot, “Josie Pepper,” created by Softbank and IBM.

DRIVING FACTORS

Rising Focus on Improving Airport Security and Cleaning Services through Automation to Aid Growth

Airlines' growing focus on offering advanced airport facilities to enhance passenger experience and security fuels the demand for security robots and airport cleaning robots. Airport security is a highly sensitive aspect for airport authorities, and it also necessitates manual labor, which raises overall security operation costs. On the other hand, the use of robots lowers security operation costs and improves efficiency and accuracy. As a result, the global airport robots market growth is anticipated to increase over the forecast period.

• In October 2021, Kansai Airports announced that it had deployed the Secom Robot X2 at Terminal 2 and the railway station of Kansai International Airport (KIX). The Secom Robot X2 is an autonomous security robot and can autonomously navigate patrol routes, employing a laser sensor to identify its location. This robot has an in-built camera to capture pictures during patrolling, which can help identify any unusual activity at the airport.


• In March 2018, Ministry of Interior of Qatar together with Internal Security Force had introduced a security robot at the Hamad International Airport. This robot has integrated camera, sensor, and facial recognition system. This robot can be used to detect suspicious persons and objects and measure pulse rate remotely.

Growing Demand for New Airports Due to Increasing Air Passenger Traffic to Boost Growth

In the past decade, there has been exponential growth in air passengers. According to International Air Transport Association’s (IATA’s) air passenger forecast, the number of air travelers could double to 8.2 billion by the end of 2037. The constant rise in air traffic increases demand for new airports and fast and efficient passenger services. Therefore, the airports are upgrading their conventional systems with highly advanced and automatic robotic systems to reduce the waiting time of air passengers. Airport robot is best to minimize passengers' check-in time. They can provide every necessary service to fast check-ins, such as baggage loading or unloading, passenger screening, and baggage screening. In December 2020, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) began the construction of a new airport on a greenfield site in Hollongi. The project cost is USD 87 million and includes constructing a 4,100 sq. passenger terminal building and airside works. The terminal will be equipped with eight check-in counters and process 200 passengers an hour. The project is expected to be completed by November 2022. Moreover, due to increased air traffic, the airport authority faces challenges in car parking. This issue can also reduce by deploying advanced, smart valet airport robot parking.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

High Production, Deployment, and Maintenance Costs of Airport Robots to Hamper Market Growth

Airport systems and equipment manufacturers are focusing on developing technologically advanced systems to replace conventional systems at airports. Moreover, airports authorities are looking forward to building smart airports, an initiative taken by the governments of various countries. However, high costs related to robot production and implementation at airports and high costs associated with maintenance hamper the market's growth.

AIRPORT ROBOT MARKET SEGMENTATION

By Type Analysis

Non-humanoid Segment to Dominate Market in 2020

The market is classified into humanoid and non-humanoid based on type.

The non-humanoid segment held the dominant share in the base year. The large percentage of the non-humanoid type is due to its prominent use for moving cargo, cargo loading or unloading, and baggage loading and unloading.

On the other hand, the humanoid segment is predicted to showcase the highest growth rate in the market during the forecast period. This growth is attributed to the appearance of a humanoid robot. This robot has a human-like appearance and can also interacts with tools or environments made for humans. These robots are multitasking and can function in different environments. Therefore, the demand for such robots is increasing to provide passenger services.

By Application Analysis

Terminal Segment to Grow at Faster Pace During Forecast Period

Based on application, the global market is classified into terminal and landside/valet parking. The terminal segment is further classified into boarding pass scanning, airport security and cleaning, passenger guidance, and airport baggage system.

The terminal segment dominates the market in the base year and is expected to remain dominant throughout the global forecast period. Airport security and cleaning, baggage system, boarding pass scanning, and passenger guidance are provided at the terminal side. Therefore, the terminal segment also exhibits strong growth during 2021-2028. This growth is attributed to the rising adoption of robots for passenger guidance and airport security and cleaning.

The landside/valet parking segment is anticipated to witness significant growth during the projection period due to the demand for smart airport robots for smart car parking applications.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

North America stood at USD 176.2 million in 2020. With big corporations and a robust infrastructure to strengthen the aerospace sector, North America has been a leading player in this market. A large number of airports in the U.S. and the fast adoption of modern airport technologies to enhance passenger experience are expected to support the market growth in North America.

During the forecast period, Asia Pacific region is predicted to develop faster growth in the market. China is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world. According to the IATA (International Air Transport Association), China is expected to overtake the U.S. as the world's largest aviation market soon. In addition, the rising number of new airport projects and passenger traffic in India propels the demand for airport robots during the global forecast period.

Due to increased business and leisure travel, European firms' demand for air travel is gradually expanding. According to the Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, the region's aviation industry is expected to grow by more than 53% in flight movements between 2019 and 2040. This increase in fleet size is expected to spark airport authorities' interest in spending considerable sums on modernizing existing facilities.

The market in the Rest of the World will increase at a moderate pace due to rising investment in airport modernization in the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Adoption of Advanced Technology and Continuous Innovation Strategy Adopted to Sustain Market Position 

The major market companies such as Stanley Robotics, SITA, ABB Ltd, and LG Electronics Inc. focus on constant innovation to offer advanced airport robots. Moreover, they are also increasing their R&D investment and the interest in technological adoption, strategic acquisition, and partnership to design and develop modern humanoid airport robots.

Furthermore, key companies adopt organic and inorganic growth strategies such as new robot launches and enter into long-term contracts with airport authorities to withstand their market position.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED:

• LG Electronics Inc. (South Korea)


• SoftBank Corp. (Japan)


• ABB Ltd (Switzerland)


• Stanley Robotics (U.K.)


• SITA (Switzerland)


• YUJIN ROBOT Co., Ltd. (South Korea)


• Universal Robots A/S (Denmark)


• ECA GROUP (France)


• Avidbots Corp (U.S.)


• Cyberdyne Inc.(Japan)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• August 2021 – The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport in Ahmedabad announced that they had tested the robot's function to provide and improve passenger assistance services. This robot is known as Mitra, a five-foot humanoid robot developed by a Bengaluru-based firm.


• July 2021 – SITA announced that it installed next-generation passenger processing infrastructure at Václav Havel Airport Prague. According to the company, this new infrastructure can be paving the way for a future passenger journey that is completely touchless and mobile.

AIRPORT ROBOT MARKET REPORT COVERAGE

The global airport robots market research report provides a detailed analysis of the market and focuses on key aspects such as key manufacturers, robot types, and applications. Moreover, the report offers insights into the trends and highlights key industry developments. In addition to the factors mentioned above, the market report encompasses several direct and indirect factors that have contributed to the market growth in recent years.

AIRPORT ROBOT MARKET Report Scope & Segmentation