- Southwest Airlines now bans humanoid and animal-like robots on flights in cabin or checked baggage
- Humanoid robots imitate human appearance, movement, or behavior, per Southwest's definition
- Animal-like robots mimic animal appearance, movement, or behavior and are also prohibited
A little over a week after a Southwest Airlines flight bound for San Diego was delayed due to a humanoid robot on board, the company has revised its travel policy. On Friday (May 15), Southwest Airlines announced that passengers were now prohibited from bringing humanoid or animal-like robots onto flights, either in the cabin or as checked baggage.
"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," the airline said in a statement.
The Dallas-based airline defined a humanoid bot as a robot designed to resemble or imitate a human in its appearance, movement, or behaviour. It also added that an “animal-like robot” is a robot designed to resemble or imitate an animal in its appearance, movement, or behaviour.
The airline added that all other robots, including toys, are still permitted if they fit inside a carry-on-size bag and comply with existing battery restrictions.
Previous Incidents
A Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland, California, to San Diego was delayed by over an hour after Bebop, a 70-pound humanoid robot, was found sitting in the passenger seat. Dallas-based Elite Event Robotics team bought the robot its own seat after its transport case was deemed too heavy for checked baggage.
While Bebop was strapped in, flight attendants started asking questions about the robot's lithium batteries, which were eventually deemed over the legal size limit and confiscated.
“Then, they come and start asking, ‘What kind of batteries does it have? What's going on with this? X, Y, and Z.' They want to see it,” Eily Ben-Abraham with Elite Event Robotics was quoted as saying by ABC7.
In a statement, Southwest Airlines said Bebop's lithium battery exceeded the airline's maximum allowable size, which caused the delay.
