US airlines may start weighing passengers before flights

US airlines may start weighing passengers before flights | Secret Flying

US passengers could be weighed before boarding flights.

 

Airline passengers may be required to step on the scale at the airport or share how much they weigh before boarding a flight, according to a circular advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

 

Carriers are required to ensure a safe weight before taking off and factor in averages for passengers and crew, as well as cargo and fuel.

 

The data airlines use to estimate passenger weight to ensure safety onboard planes may be outdated as the obesity rate in the US has increased considerably in recent years.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the obesity rate in the United States was 42.4 percent in 2017-18. That number is expected to be higher now due to to lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

The FAA recommends airlines update their estimations every 36 months by surveying at least 15 percent of its passengers.

 

“Regardless of the sampling method used, an operator has the option of surveying each passenger and bag aboard the aircraft and should give a passenger the right to decline to participate in any passenger or weight survey,” the FFA advisory wrote.

 

“If a passenger declines to participate, the operator should select the next passenger based on the operator’s random selection method rather than select the next passenger in a line.”

 

An increase in average passenger weight could lead to less seats installed on planes. However, that will also likely result in higher ticket prices.