‘It’s about safety’: Air New Zealand asks passengers to weigh themselves

‘It’s about security’
Air New Zealand requires passengers to weigh themselves

05/31/2023 10:21 AM

Anyone embarking on an international flight from Auckland must be weighed. This should give pilots a better understanding of the aircraft’s weight and balance. It is said that walking in the scale is voluntary and it is not possible to see what it shows.

New Zealand carrier Air New Zealand wants to weigh not only baggage, but also passengers ahead of international flights in the coming weeks. The reason is that pilots must know the weight and balance of the loaded aircraft before each takeoff, the company announced. “It’s about safety. Every time we fly we want to know exactly how much the plane weighs,” Greg Foran, the airline’s president, told Radio New Zealand.

From now until July 2, the gauges are at Oakland Airport in Pacific State’s North Island. Weight is capped at 10,000 passengers in total – but participation is optional. “Not to worry, unlike scales at home, in the gym or at the doctor’s office, no one can see the numbers, not even airline staff,” the New Zealand Herald reported. Data will be collected anonymously.

The goal is to determine the average weight of passengers with their hand luggage. “We weigh everything on board – from cargo to meals on board to checked baggage,” said Alister James, specialist in improving cargo control at Air New Zealand. “For customers, crew members, and hand luggage, on the other hand, we use the average weights that we get from this survey.”

Meanwhile, Air New Zealand was named the best airline in the world by airlineratings.com in this year’s Airline Excellence Awards, replacing Qatar Airways. The company will soon introduce something called Skynest. Then the economy class guests can sleep in a real bed. A total of six bunk beds will be installed in some of the machines, so that passengers can then book a slot.