Several airlines temporarily require their passengers to be weighed before boarding. The data is used in calculating takeoff weight to ensure flight safety, as the number of obese passengers increases.
Obesity becomes a problem
A recent study, conducted by a university in Australia, indicated that obesity is becoming a problem in many countries and tends to get worse. This is why several airlines now consider it necessary to periodically adjust the average weights of male and female passengers, in order to be able to calculate the take-off weight more accurately.
This average weight adjustment is necessary for wide-body aircraft, which can accommodate up to 300 passengers. For example, if there is an error of one kilogram in the average passenger weight, this means that a plane carrying 300 passengers could be carrying 300 kg more than expected and the take-off weight would be incorrect.
The average weight in the United States was revised in 2017
According to the United States Federal Aviation Administration, the average weight of male and female air passengers was adjusted to 88.4 kg and 70.3 kg respectively, from 81 kg and 69 kg respectively, according to a survey carried out in 2017.
Air New Zealand and others had already carried out this type of study
Air New Zealand had handled more than 10,000 passengers since June this year. Many other companies had carried out this type of study (Finnair). Weighing will be done at the departure gate before boarding and the cooperation of all passengers is requested. Bangkok Airways operates scheduled flights to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam. The company is based at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
The airline stressed that weighing passengers is not intended to impose weight restrictions or charge additional fees based on a passenger’s weight. Rather, it is intended to help pilots accurately calculate the total weight of the aircraft before takeoff.
