Before boarding overseas flights, customers are required to walk onto the scales, according to New Zealand’s national airline.
In a month-long survey, Air New Zealand plans to weigh 10,000 passengers in order to give pilots precise information about the weight and balance of their aircraft before takeoff.
The scales’ numbers, however, won’t be displayed for everyone to see.
The airline has guaranteed that the weigh-in data would remain anonymous, even to airline workers, and that there won’t be any visible displays anywhere.
The airline’s load control improvement specialist, Alastair James, stated: “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.”
The Civil Aviation Authority, the country’s industry watchdog, demands the figures.
Airlines have several choices under the authority’s regulations for estimating passenger weight. One approach is to conduct surveys regularly, much like Air New Zealand does to determine the average weight. Accepting the authority’s established standard weight is an additional choice.
The current maximum weight allowed by the authority for passengers 13 and older is 190 lbs (13.57 stone), including carry-on bags. The average passenger weight was last increased from 170 pounds (12.14 stone) by the authority in 2004.
According to health statistics, New Zealanders are gaining weight. According to the most recent national health survey, the adult obesity percentage has increased from 31% to 34%. Rates of childhood obesity rose to 13%, up from 10% a year earlier.
A few years ago, passengers on domestic Air New Zealand flights were asked for their opinions. Mr. James asserted that using the scales poses no threat to users.
You can participate at any moment, he continued, and by doing so you’ll help us fly you every time securely and effectively.
The survey, according to the airline, started this week and will last until July 2.