You will now be asked to be weighed before boarding an Air New Zealand flight

The airline hopes to use the figures to reduce its carbon footprint.

Air New Zealand is asking more than 10,000 people who fly with them throughout June to step onto the scales and weigh themselves before they board their flight.

The airline is looking to carry out a month-long survey to ensure ‘the safe and efficient operation of the aircraft,’ as part of a requirement from the country’s Civil Aviation Authority.

For planes to do their gravity-defying work, it’s important for pilots to know the weight and balance of the loaded aircraft.

Currently, airlines use ‘assumed mass’, estimating the total weight of the passengers by using set figures.

Each passenger is typically assumed to weigh 88 kg; or 93 kg for men and 75 kg for women.

But every so often, the airline checks in to see if the average weight of passengers has changed. The last time Air New Zealand weighed its passengers was in 2021, and the airline is looking to update its figures now that international travel has resumed post-pandemic.

If a pilot knows the plane is carrying less weight than the assumed mass, they can load less fuel accordingly, increasing the safety and cutting the environmental harm caused by each flight.

Although some passengers may be hesitant to step on the scales, Air New Zealand has assured fliers that the data will remain anonymous and will not be visible to any passengers or airline staff.

‘We know stepping on the scales can be daunting. We want to reassure our customers that there is no visible display anywhere. No one can see your weight – not even us. It’s completely anonymous,’ said Alastair James, Air New Zealand’s load control improvement specialist.

‘It’s simple, it’s voluntary, and by weighing in, you’ll be helping us to fly you safely and efficiently, every time.’

Mr James explained that before each take-off the pilot needs to know the weight and balance of the loaded aircraft.

‘We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft, from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold. For customers, crew and cabin bags, we use average weights, which we get from doing this survey.’

Nick Brasier, chief operating officer of British tech start-up Fuel Matrix previously told the Independent that airlines currently load about 1 per cent more fuel than they need. Consequently, they burn up to 0.5 per cent more fuel in carrying the surplus.

Though it might sound small, the fuel savings are significant when totted up. Since airlines spend an estimated £160 billion on fuel every year, the potential saving is up to £802 million.

Any reduction in fuel usage could also have a significant impact on lessening the airline’s carbon footprint- a Boeing 747 carries 240,000 litres of jet fuel and burns through it at a rate of four litres per second.

The airline said the survey began this week and will run through July 2.

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