Airlines could soon start weighing passengers before flights

[Oxman]

Airlines could soon start weighing passengers before flights

Airline passengers may be required to step on the scale at the airport or share how much they weigh before boarding a flight, a new report suggests.

www.foxbusiness.com

Airline passengers may be required to step on the scale at the airport or share how much they weigh before boarding a flight, a new report suggests.

Data airlines use to measure passenger weight to ensure safety onboard planes may be outdated as the obesity rate in the U.S. increases. Now, air carriers may have to update average passenger weight, according to the airline blog View from the Wing, citing a circular advisory sent out by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Under the new pending requirements, reviewed by airline industry publication AirInsightGroup, airlines would be mandated to take surveys to set "standard average passenger weights" for crew members, baggage and passengers through random sampling and call on passengers to participate.

"Regardless of the sampling method used, an operator has the option of surveying each passenger and bag abroad the aircraft and should give a passenger the right to decline to participate in any passenger or weight survey," the guidance says, according to AirInsightGroup.

The survey is said to be conducted on a voluntary basis, so if a passenger declines to participate, the airline is advised to select another traveler at random, according to the guidance.

The weight of an average adult passenger and carry-on bag will be increased to 190 pounds in the summer and 195 pounds in the winter – that’s up 12% from 170 pounds and 175 pounds, AirInsightGroup noted of the new FAA standards. Airlines would have to increase the average weight for female passengers and carry-ons from 145 pounds to 179 pounds in the summer and from 150 pounds to 184 pounds in the winter, according to the standards, while the weight for males with carry-ons will go up from 185 pounds in the summer to 200 pounds and from 190 pounds to 205 pounds in the winter.

The FAA suggests air carriers compete these surveys every 36 calendar months, according to the advisory circular. Passenger’s weight is also said to remain confidential, according to the FAA guidance.

It’s unclear when travelers may be expected to step on the scale at airports or asked about their weight. The FAA did not immediately return a request for comment.

 

[Murdoughnut]

I would think it relatively easy to install scales on the floor that feed into Sabre or whatever the ticketing tool is without the gate agent ever seeing it. Data could be distributed to the crew for W&B. Make it big enough to capture carry on luggage as well.

Question for the pros - does weight impact the power setting you put into the computer? What I'm getting at is, would a more precise weight allow you to fly a more efficient power profile?

 

[fholbert]

I've worked in Data Centers where you badged in, stepped into a 3' diameter fishbowl. The door behind you closed before the door in front of you opened. Not everyone released they were being weighed.

The process was reversed when you left the data center, if you weighed more leaving (maybe you had retired a switch) the door wouldn't open and you had to contact security so they could log the hardware you were removing.

I could see the same thing working at an airport, scan the boarding pass, step on a scale.

 

[Richman]

I remember they upped the average weights in the late 90’s and it blew up a lot of 19-30 seater weight planning.

 

[BobDDuck]

Question for the pros - does weight impact the power setting you put into the computer? What I'm getting at is, would a more precise weight allow you to fly a more efficient power profile?

It's more the other way around. Americans keep getting fatter, and cramming more stuff in their "carrry on" bags. The "average" weights that get used are probably pretty far off, especially on some markets. It's very possible that the plane is taking off over max gross weight with some level of frequency. Sure, there are huge buffers built in to the calculations, but a number is still a number.

About 4 years ago, we had to limit the number of people sitting in each row of the 767 going to American Samoa for a time, because after a weight audit, they discovered that the average weight of passengers on that flight would exceed the floor strength limitation (for rapid G onset during a crash) if they filled every seat in a row.

 

[Pilotcollin]

I am in 135 on demand and my company has been weighing bags for months to get a sample size of 3000 bags to get a new “standard” carry on, small and large bag weight. The only reason it is taking so long is that people don’t want to help by weighing bags. Good luck to the airlines. (See mask wearing in America)

 

[QXDX]

If the airlines adopt this, I suspect it won't be long before they start charging a weight surcharge.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

I remember they upped the average weights in the late 90’s and it blew up a lot of 19-30 seater weight planning.

I mean, every CRJ-200 at a certain airline is probably overweight and out the forward end of CG between their carry-on baggage program allowing real bags in the cabin PLUS the fact that I, a reasonably below-average-thickness human, happen to weigh 190lbs without “stuff.”