While some people might try to nap on a plane, one particular passenger had to literally power down so that their flight could take off.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, a Southwest flight traveling from Oakland to San Diego was delayed due to what the pilot called an “unusual passenger”: a humanoid robot.
The robot, named Bebop, was accompanied by Eily Ben-Abraham, an employee of a robotics company. Bebop had its own seat purchased by Ben-Abraham, but raised concerns among the flight crew when initially placed in an aisle seat, which violated Southwest’s large carry-on policy.
Bebop was then moved to the window and its batteries were temporarily removed. After about an hour sitting on the tarmac, the plane eventually took off.
“The device’s lithium battery exceeded the maximum allowable size, so the customer was asked to remove it,” says a Southwest spokesperson in a statement. “We appreciate the professionalism of our Flight Crew in addressing this situation.”
Ben-Abraham, meanwhile, offered no comment other than saying he had “a connecting flight and a dead robot to lug around.”