India: Humanoid robots installed at Chennai Airport

Event

On August 15, Chennai International Airport (MAA) in Tamil Nadu state (south) began to deploy humanoid robots to perform a series of actions, including greeting passengers and responding to queries. The robots on trial have been positioned in the arrivals and departures sections of the domestic terminal to give passengers information on the airport and its amenities.

Context

MAA is India’s fourth-busiest airport (behind New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru airports). It handled over 20 million passengers annually 2017-18 and serves as a hub for Jet Airways, SpiceJet, Alliance Air, and IndiGo.

Advice

As a reminder, foreign nationals arriving at an Indian airport holding non-machine readable passports will be denied entry. Foreigners transiting through India need a transit visa.