Air New Zealand to weigh passengers before boarding flights: Report

Wellington, May 30 (IANS) Air New Zealand will begin weighing passengers departing on international flights from the Auckland International Airport starting from July 2, the media reported on Tuesday.

The flag carrier said the programme, which the airline calls a passenger weight survey, is a way to gather data on the weight load and distribution for planes, CNN reported.

"We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft -- from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold," Alastair James, the airline's load control improvement specialist said in a statement.

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

In order to protect individuals' privacy, the airline said that it will make the data anonymous.

As part of the programme, travelers will be asked to stand on a digital scale when they check in for their flight, CNN reported.

The information about their weight is then submitted to the survey but will not be viewable on the agent's screen.

They will also place their luggage on another identical scale for separate weighing.

"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," James was quoted as saying in the statement.