A Weighty Matter as International Passengers Stressed Over Being Asked to Weigh in Before Flights

Mindy Cohn

Beginning in June, Air New Zealand will request that passengers step up to the scale before their flight. 

While the weighing-in is purely voluntary, the airlines stressed the importance of collecting an average for the total passenger weight to help determine a baseline of passenger weights. The information will be used to calculate the weight and balance of flights going forward as pilots use that information in their calculations before takeoff.

Air New Zealand assures the public that in addition to the weigh-in being optional, passengers can rest assured that there will be no visible display so no one will see their weight.

Airlines weigh everything going into the craft, including luggage, cargo, meals, snacks, and drinks. Passenger weights are included based on averages which the survey will provide as an update. 

This is not the first time Air New Zealand has done a weigh in. Passengers who flew domestically in 2021 were weighted for the same reason, and now the airline insists it must weigh international passengers as well - leaving many wondering why international passenger weight averages would be any different than domestic flyers.

Passengers can weigh in at the gate lounge entrance of some Air New Zealand flights leaving from Auckland International Airport until July 2.