There are a lot of items travelers can bring on their next Southwest Airlines flight. A robot is not one of them.
Southwest, which is the dominant carrier at Dallas Love Field Airport, recently updated its safety guidelines by banning “human-like” and “animal-like” robots from aircraft cabins and checked baggage “regardless of size or purpose.”
Southwest defines a “human-like robot” as one that is designed “to resemble or imitate a human in its appearance, movement, or behavior.” An animal-like robot is “designed to resemble or imitate an animal in its appearance, movement, or behavior,” according to Southwest’s website. The airline added that all other robots, including toys, must fit in a carry-on bag and comply with the carrier’s existing battery policies.
The policy change came on the heels of a recent incident in which a person bought a seat for a humanoid known as “Stewie” and appeared to bring it onboard as a passenger, according to videos circulating on social media.
“We have had a handful of recent experiences in which customers either bought seats for devices or tried to carry them on as baggage,” Southwest told The Dallas Morning News. One led to a flight delay, which has been making headlines. The primary concern is with the size of the lithium-ion batteries used to power them and the risk they pose during flight.”