SINGAPORE: AirAsia in Thailand has joined a growing list of carriers asking passengers to have their weight checked before boarding their flights. This will only be done on selected flights from Oct 16 to 20, and on a voluntary basis only, the carrier said in an Oct 18 Facebook post, which also showed people queuing to weigh themselves and their baggage in an exercise called “Weighing with care”.
This is being done, AirAsia explained, in order to determine the average weight of passengers and is being carried out in cooperation with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand. Any data collected in the exercise will be kept confidential, AirAsia assured the public in the post, which ended with “Don’t be alarmed. Please cooperate voluntarily with our ground staff.”
A video went viral in the United States in March this year when a TikTok user posted, “The whole airport trying to mind their own business as a woman is asked to step on the baggage scale because she claimed she was 130 lbs.” It has since been taken down, but not before 1.6 million users had viewed it, with many claiming discrimination against plus-sized passengers.
Last month, Bangkok Airways announced via Facebook post that from September 15 to October 31, passengers would be asked to step on a scale before stepping on the plane. They will be weighed along with their carry-on baggage as part of a weight check survey.
“In compliance with the International Civil Aviation standard regarding the use of standard passenger and baggage weights for weight and balance calculation purposes, the conducting of a standard weights survey is essential to the safety and efficiency of a flight in determining that the actual weight does not exceed the maximum take-off weight limitation,” said Bangkok Airways in a statement.
The carrier again assured commenters that the pre-boarding weigh-in is only temporary and is being carried out “to verify that the aircraft’s total flying weight remains within the limits specified for takeoff and ensure flight safety.” Moreover, the weighing-in exercise would not cause anyone to pay extra fees.
Air New Zealand also said in May that it would ask over 10,000 passengers to participate in a similar weight survey that started the following month. The carrier said in a statement, “The survey is essential to the safe and efficient operation of the aircraft and is a Civil Aviation Authority requirement.”
A load control improvement specialist for the company, Mr Alastair James, said: “We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft — from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold. 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! It’s completely anonymous,” James said. “It’s simple, it’s voluntary, and by weighing in, you’ll be helping us to fly you safely and efficiently, every time.”
/TISG