New Zealand weighs 10,000 passengers on flights

In this photo supplied by Air New Zealand, a woman stands on scales to be weighed ahead of a flight on May 29, 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand. The country's national airline is asking passengers to step on the scales before they board international flights. Air New Zealand wants to weigh 10,000 passengers as part of a monthlong survey to better estimate the weight and balance of its planes. The airline said it is gathering information for a few weeks to calculate the average weight of passengers, which will help pilots know the weight and balance of loaded planes.

Passengers can choose not to be weighed, according to the airline.

We know stepping on the scales can be daunting, said Alastair James, who goes by the title of Air New Zealand's load control improvement specialist. We want toreassure our customers that there is no visible display anywhere. No one can see your weight - not even us. The airline also weighs everything else on the plane, including cargo, passengers bags, and even meals, James said.

Air New Zealand said it is requiring the weighing program by the country's civil aviation authority. Air Canada said it started weighing passengers on flights leaving Auckland International Airport on Monday, and the survey will run until July 2. In 2021, the airline weighed passengers on domestic flights.