Air New Zealand Implements Passenger Weighing before Boarding

It is a meaty discussion in the aviation industry and now it will surely become a hot topic of debate again.

Air New Zealand will begin asking some passengers to step on a scale before boarding an international flight. The airline already does so for domestic flights.

“We know stepping on the scales can be daunting. We want to reassure our customers there is no visible display anywhere. No one can see your weight – not even us. It’s completely anonymous,” said Alastair James, Air New Zealand’s load control improvement specialist. “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 says it is for survey purposes only. While it expects to weigh more than 10,000 passengers in the month of June alone, it will be done discreetly. Air New Zealand says nobody will know or see a passenger’s weight.

It is also now a requirement from the country’s Civil Aviation Authority. James said it’s all part of the process.

“We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft, from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold,” James said. “For customers, crew and cabin bags, we use average weights, which we get from doing this survey.”