Passengers on a recent Pobeda flight in Russia got an unexpected crew member. The low cost airline became the first in the world to put a humanoid robot on duty during a commercial flight, turning a routine Ulyanovsk to Moscow trip into a small glimpse of aviation’s future.
The robot, named Volodya, joined the cabin crew on November 12 and spent the flight greeting passengers, giving safety instructions, and demonstrating how a robotic assistant could slot into an airline workflow. Short footage shared by AirProNews on YouTube showed Volodya at the aircraft door, welcoming travelers as they boarded. Once the plane was in the air, the robot continued interacting with passengers, reciting safety details and mimicking the movements of a trained flight attendant.
Volodya didn’t take over food or beverage service, but its presence clearly drew curiosity. Airline officials said passengers were enthusiastic about the trial, with plenty of adults and children taking photos and asking questions. The robot’s appearance closely resembles a Unitree G1, though the airline hasn’t confirmed the exact model. In the video, Volodya moves with controlled, humanlike gestures that appear to rely on reinforcement learning.
Reactions online were more mixed. A separate video posted by Valuetainment on Instagram sparked debate about whether humanoid robots belong on planes at all. Some viewers joked about the risks, imagining what might happen if a robot accidentally opened a door mid flight. Others raised concerns about human workers being replaced, with one commenter suggesting the flight attendant in the video was “training her replacement.” Another dismissed the whole concept as trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.
These reactions highlight a split in public perception. While some see humanoids as innovative and entertaining, others worry about job displacement, unnecessary automation, and safety challenges. The trial didn’t involve any tasks that required critical decision making, but future versions of these robots might aim higher.
Pobeda may have claimed the first in flight humanoid demonstration, but the idea is spreading fast. Earlier this year, Qatar Airways introduced its own humanoid attendants equipped with conversational AI. And on the industrial side, companies like Hyundai and Kia have already rolled out wearable robots to support maintenance and assembly work.
As aviation experiments with humanoids, the real challenge will be finding the balance between adding helpful automation and preserving the human touch that makes flying feel safe and personal.
