A New Zealand airline is weighing its passengers before boarding as part of a month-long study to measure the plane’s overall weight. Air New Zealand said it hopes to weigh 10,000 passengers to help pilots better understand the aircraft’s weight and stability before takeoff.
The weighing will be optional and will allow Air New Zealand to achieve better fuel efficiency based on the findings, the airline said in a press release. Airlines have maximum allowable weight rules for carry-on and checked baggage, and pay close attention to the number of passengers, food and beverages on board, and the amount of fuel needed to reach the destination.
“It’s a legal requirement for us to know the weight of everything on the plane, and for good reason,” said Alastair James, the airline’s cargo control improvement specialist, in a conversation with TODAY. In a separate press release, he said knowing the total weight of the aircraft during flight is “essential for the safe and efficient operation of the aircraft.”
But some American passengers don’t seem to be too keen on being weighed down in public, and one passenger said in an interview with TODAY, “I think it’s a breach of privacy.” Another passenger said, “Even when I go to the doctor, I don’t look at the scale, so I don’t want it in public.”
The country’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) requires airlines to estimate the weight of passengers with one of two options. The first of these options is to weigh passengers, as Air New Zealand does, while the other option is to accept the standard weight of 190 pounds (approximately 86kg) for people 13 years and older as determined by the CAA.
Although the standard weight was last raised in 2004, the 2021 survey, when the standard weight was last reviewed, was for domestic flights only, and the international flight survey was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the country borders were still closed to international passengers at that time. The survey will take place at New Zealand’s Auckland airport for designated flights and may also include passengers flying non-stop from Auckland to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Air New Zealand’s research will begin this week and run until July 2. “We know it can be daunting to hit the scales,” said Alastair James, the airline’s cargo control improvement specialist, in a press release. We want to reassure our customers that there is no visible screen anywhere. No one can see your weight – not even us! It is completely anonymous,” he says. “By participating in the weight measurement, you will help us fly safely and efficiently every time.”
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