Advertisement

Air New Zealand Asks Passengers to Weigh Themselves Before Boarding Flights

New Zealand's national airline wants travelers to weigh themselves during check-in for the next month

<p>Getty Images</p> Air New Zealand

Getty Images

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand passengers may now have to consider two sets of scales when they're flying. 

The country's national airline is requesting passengers volunteer to weigh themselves, as well as their luggage, before boarding international flights from Auckland International Airport, under instructions from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The weighing-in procedure is part of a month-long survey, which began on May 29 and aims to help calculate the weight carried on planes — information required by the CAA from airlines every five years.

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

Related: &#39;Unethical&#39; or Brilliant? This Viral Plane &#39;Hack&#39; Punishes Passengers Who Recline Their Seat

<p>Getty Images</p> Air New Zealand

Getty Images

Air New Zealand

James shared more details about the survey's importance in an interview with the Today show. “It’s a regulatory requirement for us to know the weight of everything that goes on the aircraft and there’s a good reason for that,” he said. "To fly safely and efficiently, we need to be able to calculate the weight and balance of the aircraft each and every time we fly.”

Regular check-in won't be altered for those taking part, as passengers volunteering for the survey will also have to place their luggage on a separate scale before boarding.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Air New Zealand said it hopes 10,000 passengers will weigh in before boarding flights. Anyone departing from Auckland in the next month need not worry about details of their BMI being shared either, as the weight will be recorded anonymously.

Despite this, the weight-related survey has received backlash, with some Today viewers saying they felt it was a "violation of privacy."

“We know stepping on the scales can be daunting. We want to reassure our customers there’s no weight shown on the screen, it’s just captured and goes straight into the computer,” James added.

Related: Man Who Opened Emergency Door During South Korea Flight Allegedly Said He Felt Suffocated

NBC News aviation expert John Cox also insisted Wednesday that data collected by Air New Zealand could offer "wide-ranging benefits" for airlines globally.

"Air New Zealand and the New Zealand regulators are in fact helping the industry,” Cox told NBC News.

“I think you may see some other airlines utilize this at some point in the future."

This is not the first time Air New Zealand has weighed its airline passengers. In 2021, a similar survey was carried out on domestic passengers, though the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the airline from collecting data from international travelers.

Air New Zealand’s new survey runs from May 29 to July 2.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.