Flight passengers will be weighed alongside their hand luggage for “safety reasons” says a major airline company. Many of us try and ditch a few pounds before jetting off on our holidays, but one airline has taken that to the extreme.
But now flight passengers of Korean Air, a South Korean airline giant, has shocked jetsetters by saying that they will be weighed before getting on board its planes, reports The Sun.
The government has dubbed the new policy “crucial for safety of flight operations”.
Travellers departing from the two major Seoul airports will be expected have their weight recorded at check-in starting at Gimpo Airport from August 28 until September 6.
Those flying out of Incheon International Airport will also be told to hop on the scales from September 8 until 19.
The records are being kept to assist Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation (MOLIT) and its “Aircraft Weight and Balance Management Standards”.
A spokesperson said: “This is crucial for safety of flight operations, and Korean Air complies with this mandate and remains committed to safety, its number one priority.”
A Korean Air spokesperson told Korea JoongAng Daily: “Korean Air passengers will be asked to step on scales with their carried-on items at each boarding gate. The data collated anonymously will be utilized for survey purposes and doesn’t mean overweight passengers will need to pay more.”
It might come as a relief to many that this is an optional requirement and passengers will not be forced to comply.
A similar system started in New Zealand earlier this year with Air New Zealand carrying out a weight survey on more than 10,000 travellers.
Alastair James, a load control specialist, told Seven Sharp: “We know stepping on the scales can be daunting.
“We want to reassure our customers there is no visible display anywhere. We need to know the weights of everything that go onboard our aircraft.
“For passengers or customers, crew and their cabin bags, we use an average weight and that average weight comes from this survey.”
Crew member, luggage and freight cargo were all measured as well as passengers. The survey was a requirement of the country’s Civil Aviation Authority which Air New Zealand goes through every five years.
