A Look at a Historic Flight! The First Moment Passengers Laid Eyes on “Volodya”

According to the technology desk of SaedNews, citing Fars, a Russian airline called Pobeda has, for the first time in the world, deployed a humanoid robot as a flight attendant on a test flight. Named Volodya, the robot traveled from Ulyanovsk to Moscow, greeting passengers and delivering safety instructions, demonstrating how human-machine collaboration in the cabin could transform the passenger experience.

In a video released by AirProNews, Volodya is seen welcoming passengers as they board the plane. During the flight, the robot stands in a fixed position, delivering safety instructions with precision, closely mimicking the behavior of human flight attendants.

While Volodya does not serve food or beverages after takeoff, its presence has left a mark on passengers. Airline officials report that both children and adults were thrilled to see the robot, often taking photos with it.

Visually, Volodya bears a strong resemblance to the Unitree G1 model, though the airline has not officially confirmed the exact model. In the video, the robot imitates cabin crew behavior, performing part of the attendants’ duties, and incorporates reinforcement learning technology in its design.

Following the video’s release, reactions on social media were mixed. Some users expressed concern that robots like Volodya might replace human staff, potentially affecting jobs in the aviation industry.