An airline that weighs passengers before boarding

Weighing yourself before boarding is Air New Zealand’s latest initiative. From now on, passengers leaving Auckland and traveling overseas will have to step in as part of an internal investigation.

As of July 2, Air New Zealand expects to be underweight 10,000 passengers Departs on international flights. Already in 2021, the study on domestic flights has surprised many passengers. However, the airline has assured passengers that the data will be anonymous and their weight will not be displayed when they are weighed.

The study was carried out by the New Zealand National Civil Aviation Authority to improve safety during take-off. Among those who could be invited to participate in the study are those traveling on a direct flight from Oakland to New York’s JFK airport, CNN reported.

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“We weigh everything that goes on the plane”

Air New Zealand cargo control specialist James Alastair explains, “Before every take-off, the pilot needs to know the weight and balance of the loads on the aircraft.” “We weigh everything that goes on the plane: from cargo to food on board, going through hold baggage,” explains Alastair. And he adds: “For customers, crew and cabin baggage, we use the average weight, which we get by conducting this survey.”

Health statistics show New Zealanders are overweight. The country has the third-highest obesity rate among OECD countries, behind the United States and Mexico, with a third of its adults considered obese.

Finally, the airline would like to reassure its passengers that the survey is voluntary and will help transport passengers more safely and efficiently in the future.