‘We know it’s confusing’: Why do some airlines weigh their passengers?

Rest assured, there are no extra charges for anyone. But some companies, in addition to requiring traditional identification papers and boarding passes, make sure passengers board the scale before boarding the plane.

This is what Korean Air, a Korean carrier, has planned to do for the month of September on certain flights departing from Gimpo and Incheon International Airports. The information was confirmed in a company press release CNN reported it. But what is the benefit for airlines?

It is not about determining the weight of the aircraft’s passengers, but rather about a simple collection of data to obtain the total in-flight weight of the aircraft. Data that allows better determination of fuel needs, or even weight distribution in the aircraft for more safety.

No one can see your weight.

Information about passengers’ weight and baggage will remain anonymous, and will be sent to the Korean Ministry of Transportation, which is responsible for regulations in this area. However, customers can oppose this practice which has no legal obligation, even if it has already been implemented by many other airlines.

This is the case, for example, for Air New Zealand at the beginning of the year, always on short notice and on certain flights such as those between Auckland and New York. “We know it can be unsettling and scary to step on the scale. We would like to reassure our customers that there is no visible display anywhere,” a representative for the New Zealand company explained at the time. No one can see your weight, not even us! »