Southwest Airlines has added a new clause to its baggage policy prohibiting humanoid and animaloid robots from being transported onboard, either in the cabin or as checked baggage. The airline defines a “human-like robot” as any robot designed to imitate human appearance, movement, or behavior. Likewise, an “animal-like robot” – more precisely described as an animaloid or zoomorph robot – refers to machines designed to resemble animals. The restriction would likely apply to robotic bipeds such as NAO, Pepper, Unitree G1, Apollo, Figure 03, or NEO, as well as robotc quadrupeds like Unitree Go2, Boston Dynamics’ Spot or Sony’s AIBO. While such machines are still uncommon in everyday travel, they are regularly used in research, engineering, education, and commercial demonstrations, making air transport a practical consideration for some owners and institutions. Southwest has not publicly explained the rationale behind the rule, but battery safety, handling concerns, and operational procedures are likely factors. Other robots and robotic toys remain permitted if they fit inside normal carry-on luggage and comply with existing battery restrictions. More information is available via support.southwest.com.
BY OLIVER BENDEL
