Yahoo Finance Airline to weigh passengers before boarding flights
New Zealand’s national airline is to weigh passengers before they board flights under plans to make sure its planes have enough fuel for trips.
Air New Zealand wants to weigh 10,000 passengers during a month-long survey so pilots can better know the weight and balance of their planes before takeoff.
Passengers will not be forced to take part and weights will not be publicly displayed. The airline said it will record all the data anonymously. It will be used to give the airline a better idea of the average weights of a full flight.
Alastair James, a load control improvement specialist for the airline, said: “We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft – from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold.
“For customers, crew and cabin bags, we use average weights, which we get from doing this survey.”
Knowing the total weight a plane is carrying is crucial for calculating how much fuel is needed for a journey. The distribution of the weight across the aircraft is also essential to stop it tilting and to safely pilot the plane.
Under the New Zealand national regulator’s rules, airlines have various options to estimate passenger weight.
One option is to periodically carry out surveys to establish an average weight. Another option is to accept a standard weight set by the authority.
Currently, the authority’s designated weight for people aged 13 and over is 86kg, which includes carry-on luggage.
The authority last changed the average passenger weight in 2004, increasing it from 77kg.
Health statistics show New Zealanders are becoming heavier. The latest national health survey put the adult obesity rate at 34pc, up from 31pc a year earlier. Childhood obesity rates increased to 13pc, up from 10pc a year earlier.
Customers on Air New Zealand domestic flights were last asked to weigh in a couple of years ago.
Mr James said: “It’s simple, it’s voluntary, and by weighing in, you’ll be helping us to fly you safely and efficiently, every time.”
The airline said the survey began this week and will run through July 2.
