Seoul

A few months after Air New Zealand announced it was weighing passengers before departure, Korean Air - South Korea's largest airline - has also announced it will follow suit. 

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According to a report by the Independent, Korean Air said it would be ''measuring the average weight of passengers along with their carry-on items for flight safety''.

The airlines stated that the programme will affect some travellers departing from Gimpo International Airport (GMP) from August 28 until September 3 and from Incheon International Airport (ICA) between September 8-19.

Both passengers and their luggage will be weighed anonymously and the collected data will be shared with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Those not fully on board with the weight data collection can simply opt out of the programme by letting a staff member know, CNN reported. 

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According to experts, periodic weight assessments of passengers, as well as their luggage help airlines determine if weight estimates are still accurate to offset the amount of cargo they carry. 

The announcement, however, was met with public backlash, according to local media reports. "It feels awkward that others will know my weight," said one netizen, while another asked, "If I weigh less, will they let me carry on more baggage?" or "Will I be charged more if I weigh more?"

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Air New Zealand weighs passengers 

In May, Air New Zealand announced it was weighing the passengers as part of a programme to gather real-world data on the weight load and distribution of planes. The airlines' load control improvement specialist Alastair James, in a statement, said that they weigh “everything” that goes onboard the aircraft, “from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold.” 

At the time, the airline said passengers will be asked to stand on a digital scale when they check-in for their flight before reaching the boarding gate. The so-called passenger weight survey aims to collect data from at least 10,000 passengers and those who do not wish to participate can skip it. 

Also read | Air New Zealand to weigh passengers before they board int’l flights. Here’s why

In 2021, domestic passengers participated in a similar survey but the one for international travellers was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies)

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