SUMMARY
- Air New Zealand introduces a passenger weight survey to optimize fuel efficiency and enhance safety in its international flights.
- The trial echoes a similar initiative undertaken for domestic flights in 2021 and dovetails with the resurgence of international travel following Covid-19.
- The weighing procedure respects privacy norms, with no visible display of weights, and is aimed at updating outdated average passenger weight data.
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In a novel approach to improve fuel efficiency, Air New Zealand has announced a trial that involves passengers stepping onto scales before embarking on international flights. The airline divulged on Monday its plan to invite over 10,000 customers, traversing its global network, to participate in its forthcoming passenger weight survey prior to boarding.
For every takeoff, pilots require precise knowledge about the weight and balance of the fully-loaded aircraft. This is a crucial aspect of flight safety and efficiency. The implementation of this initiative is timely, coinciding with a surge in international travel following the relaxation of Covid-19 constraints over the past year.
With international travel resuming full throttle, the airline shared in a statement that it's an opportune moment for flyers to 'weigh in' on this new development. This isn't the carrier's first dance with weighing passengers as it undertook a similar endeavor for domestic flights back in 2021.
Alastair James, an official from Air New Zealand specializing in load control, sought to ease potential passenger apprehensions. He assured customers in a press release that there wouldn't be any visible display of weights, thus preserving privacy. He emphasized the essential contribution of passengers in helping the airline achieve safe and efficient flights by participating in the survey.
The passenger weight survey is set to be conducted at the entrance of gate lounges for selected flights departing from Auckland International Airport between May 29 and July 2. It's worth noting that Air New Zealand isn't alone in this endeavor. Finnish airline Finnair began a similar practice in 2017, aimed at updating decade-old data on average passenger weights, as many airlines continue to rely on outdated data from the European Aviation Safety Agency dating back to 2009.
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