Air New Zealand is asking passengers to weigh themselves before boarding international flights in response to a requirement by the country’s civil aviation authority, the airline said.
Air New Zealand wants to weigh 10,000 passengers during a month-long investigation, so pilots can get an idea of the planes’ weight and balance before they take off.
The layover numbers won’t flash in front of everyone, the airline promised, noting that the values will remain anonymous, even to company employees.
“We weigh everything that goes on the plane, from the cargo, through the meals on board to the luggage in the hold,” Air New Zealand cargo control improvement specialist Alastair James said in a statement.
The numbers are required by the regulatory body of the aviation sector. Under New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority rules, airlines have several options for estimating passenger weight. One of them is to periodically carry out studies like this one, which establish an average weight. Another option is to accept a default weight defined by the authority.
Currently, the weight indicated by the authority for people over 13 years of age is 86 kilos, including hand luggage. The authority last changed the average weight of passengers in 2004, increasing it from 77 kilos to the current 86.
“It’s simple, it’s voluntary, and by weighing yourself, you’re helping to fly safely and efficiently,” said Alastair James.
The study began this week and will run through July.
Health statistics reveal that New Zealanders are getting fatter. The last national health survey, from the years 2020 and 2021, placed the obesity rate in adults at 34% – between 2019 and 2020 it was 31%. Childhood obesity rates increased from 10% (2019/20) to 13% (2020/21).
Source: TSF
