Airline starts weighing passengers boarding international flights: report

New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority is asking the country's main airline to weigh passengers departing on international flights out of Auckland International Airport, CNN reports.

It includes direct flights between the city and New York's JFK airport.

The program intends to gather data on weight load and distribution for Air New Zealand planes and will last through July 2, 2023.

“We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft – from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold,” said load control improvement specialist Alastair James. “For customers, crew and cabin bags, we use average weights, which we get from doing this survey.”

The data will be anonymous so as to protect people who may be sensitive about sharing their weight. When passengers step on a scale, the data will be submitted electronically but will not be viewable on a screen.

“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 said.