{"id":41005,"date":"2026-05-15T13:47:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T12:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/?p=41005"},"modified":"2026-05-15T13:36:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T12:36:13","slug":"southwest-humanoid-robot-ban-battery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/southwest-humanoid-robot-ban-battery\/","title":{"rendered":"Southwest cracks down on humanoid robots over lithium battery risks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Southwest Airlines<\/span><\/strong><\/a> has banned humanoid robots from its flights after a widely shared incident involving a robot \u2018passenger\u2019 in Dallas this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decision reflects growing concern across the airline industry regarding the risks posed by lithium-ion batteries<\/span><\/strong><\/a> onboard aircraft \u2013 although the humanoid\u2019s owner insists there was no battery-related risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Southwest bans humanoid robots after viral Dallas flight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The policy change follows an unusual incident earlier this week involving a Texas passenger and a humanoid robot he has named \u201cStewie\u201d, who were taking a Southwest flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than transporting the humanoid machine separately, in the hold, the robot\u2019s owner, Aaron Mehdizadeh, who owns The Robot Studio, opted to bring it onboard a Southwest flight from Las Vegas to Dallas as a ticketed passenger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We just got robots banned from Southwest Airlines. You\u2019re welcome \ud83e\udee1

Yesterday we flew our humanoid robot Stewie from Las Vegas to Dallas on Southwest \u2014 something we (and others) have tried and failed multiple times because batteries are always the issue.
This time we cracked\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/FqJjk1vSfQ<\/a><\/p>— Aaron Mehdizadeh (@rentbotsTX) May 12, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>