Southwest Airlines has officially published a new policy stating that humanoid and animal-like robots are not permitted as either carry-on items or checked baggage.
The new rule appears on the airline’s support page, Can I bring a robot onboard?, which explains that these types of robots are prohibited from traveling on Southwest flights.
The policy surfaced shortly after a viral post from Aaron Mehdizadeh, founder of The Robot Studio, a Texas-based robotics company. Aaron said they had successfully flown their humanoid robot Stewie from Las Vegas to Dallas on Southwest.
In a post on X, Aaron said they created a custom lithium battery pack that stayed just under the FAA’s legal limit. According to the post, the robot boarded the aircraft, was buckled into its own seat, and completed the flight without violating any federal regulations.
Aaron said that the next morning, a Southwest employee leaked an internal training notice that was sent to flight attendants companywide. The notice reportedly included a photo of Stewie and identified the robot as an example of what employees should look for under the new policy.
“We just got robots banned from Southwest Airlines. You’re welcome,” Aaron wrote.
The incident follows another unusual Southwest encounter involving a robot. Earlier this month, Clanks reported on a separate case in which a robot delayed a Southwest flight while airline staff worked through battery and transport questions.
That story can be found here: Robot Delays Southwest Airlines Flight
The new policy highlights a growing challenge for the robotics industry. As more humanoid and quadruped robots are shipped to customers, trade shows, and research labs, airlines are being forced to decide how these machines fit into existing baggage rules.
Many advanced robots rely on large lithium-ion batteries, which are heavily regulated because of fire risks. Even when batteries meet FAA limits, airlines have the authority to set their own restrictions.
The robotics industry is expanding rapidly, and transporting robots is becoming a practical issue rather than a novelty. Aaron ended his viral post with a simple message: “The robots are traveling whether the airlines are ready or not.”
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