*Forget crying babies and reclining seats. The strangest passenger to ever fly commercial is a 3.5-foot humanoid robot named “Stewie.” And thanks to one determined Dallas tech entrepreneur, he had a window seat, a boarding pass, and a better in-flight social life than most humans.
On May 10, 2026, Aaron Mehdizadeh, owner of The Robot Studio, flew from Las Vegas to Dallas on Southwest Airlines. Instead of shipping Stewie as cargo, Mehdizadeh bought the robot its own passenger ticket. Stewie then walked through the airport terminal, cleared security, and boarded the plane like any other traveler. He sat in a window seat, posed for selfies, and even interacted with amused passengers who turned the event into an instant viral sensation.
Why Buy a Robot a Plane Ticket?
According to Mehdizadeh, the decision was purely practical. “We didn’t want to risk damage,” he told reporters. “We bought him his own seat using the fragile item ticket type (like for wedding dresses or musical instruments).” The robot, which stands just 3.5 feet tall, walked through Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas without issue. Security cleared him. Gate agents didn’t flinch. And once onboard, Stewie became the star of the flight.
“Most people were very excited to see a robot flying and provided so much entertainment, and it was great,” Mehdizadeh said. Passengers took endless selfies and videos, one of which quickly racked up millions of views on Instagram. In the main viral clip, Stewie can be seen calmly walking down the plane aisle before settling into his window seat like a seasoned business traveler.
Stewie even had a pre-programmed joke ready for the occasion: “I had the perfect window seat, clouds like cotton candy, and everyone’s snapping selfies with me.”
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Southwest’s Swift Ban
The good vibes lasted about 48 hours. Two days after the flight, Southwest Airlines updated its policy to explicitly ban all humanoid and animal-like robots from flying in the cabin or as checked baggage, citing safety concerns over lithium batteries. The airline did not name Stewie directly, but everyone knew.
Mehdizadeh is not taking the ban quietly. “We didn’t break a single FAA rule. Not one,” he said. “They just weren’t ready for us. Robophobic? Arguably.” He also pushed back on the battery justification, adding, “It’s not a battery policy because the battery we used is essentially a laptop battery.”
For now, Stewie remains a one-of-a-kind passenger. This is the first known case of a humanoid robot flying commercially as a ticketed passenger. Mehdizadeh has said he hopes the airline will eventually reconsider, but Southwest shows no signs of reversing course. Until then, any robot hoping for a window seat will have to stay on the ground.
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