Following in the footsteps of Air New Zealand, travelers flying on Korean Air, South Korea’s largest airline will be asked to step on a scale before boarding their flight, according to the Independent. Korean Air announced on its website that it would ”measure the average weight of passengers as well as their carry-on items for flight safety”. The procedure is used to help establish aircraft weight distribution, and computations must be performed every five years.
According to The Korea Times, the weighing will take place in front of the gates and before boarding.
If a passenger does not want to participate in the weight measurements, they can opt out of the program- Korean Air
Domestic travelers at Gimpo International Airport benefited from this effort from August 28 to September 6, followed by international passengers at Incheon International Airport from September 8 to September 19.
If travelers are concerned about the process, the airlines have stated that both people and luggage will be weighed anonymously. If a passenger is still unsure and does not want to participate in the weight measurements, they can opt-out by informing a staff member.
Once all of the data has been collected, it will be shared with Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, which will assist airlines in determining how much fuel is required and how to distribute weight onboard planes.
Air New Zealand began weighing passengers in July
‘The data collected anonymously will be utilized for survey purposes and doesn’t mean overweight passengers will need to pay more,” the airline said.
Air New Zealand began weighing passengers departing on foreign flights from Auckland Airport in July of this year. The program dubbed a passenger weight survey by the airline, is intended to collect data on the weight load and distribution of flights.
The poll, described as an ‘important’ endeavor, is being used to establish the average client weight, which pilots require before departure.