There have been a couple recent incidents involving humanoid bots on flights.
WASHINGTON — Southwest Airlines will no longer allow passengers to bring humanoid or animal-like robots onto flights or as checked baggage.
The airline updated its policy on robots after a man brought his humanoid robot named “Stewie” onto a flight, buying him his own ticket on a flight from Las Vegas to Dallas, Texas.
Southwest Airlines cited the lithium-ion batteries used in robots for the updated policy. Such batteries, also common in portable chargers and power banks, have caused fires on planes.
“Southwest Airlines does not allow human-like or animal-like robots to be transported in the cabin or as checked baggage, regardless of size or purpose,” Southwest said in its new policy. “A ‘human‑like robot’ is a robot designed to resemble or imitate a human in its appearance, movement, or behavior. An ‘animal-like robot’ is a robot designed to resemble or imitate an animal in its appearance, movement, or behavior.”
“All other robots, including toys, must be able to fit within a carry-on size bag and comply with existing battery restrictions,” it added.
“Stewie” went viral after boarding the Southwest flight, garnering attention from passengers and flight crew. The humanoid bot is part of The Robot Studio, a Dallas-based company that rents robots for events like weddings, conferences and more.
A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines told CNN that the new policy was not in response to any single incident. It officially took effect last week.
There have been a couple of recent incidents involving humanoid bots on flights.
In another case, not involving “Stewie,” a Southwest flight from Oakland, California, was delayed due to a robot.
CNN Newsource contributed to this report.
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