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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
World
Milo Boyd Travel Reporter & Cathal Ryan

Air New Zealand to start weighing passengers before check-in

One major airline has introduced a rule where passengers will be asked to stand on a scale and be weighed before boarding.

Staff at Auckland International Airport must get Air New Zealand passengers to step on to weighing scales when they are going on international flights until July 2, 2023, New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority has ruled.

The airline said that the aim of the project, which will only be implemented for a month and a half, is to gather data on the weight load and distribution for planes.

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Before they head off, passengers will now be asked to stand on a digital scale when they check-in for their flight. Their weight will then be recorded and submitted without being visible to the checking agent.

Following this, passengers will also be asked to place their luggage on another identical scale for separate weighing.

The airline’s load control improvement specialist, Alastair James, said that the weighing initiative is voluntary and anonymous, The Mirror reports

"We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft – from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold," he said in a statement.

"For customers, crew and cabin bags, we use average weights, which we get from doing this survey.

"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."

He added: "It's simple, it's voluntary, and by weighing in, you'll be helping us to fly you safely and efficiently, every time."

This has previously been trialled, with Air New Zealand asking passengers to step on the scales before boarding their flights back in 2021, but only domestic passengers.

The international survey was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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