Air New Zealand comments on privacy concerns

Airline says it will weigh passengers before boarding 'for safety reasons'

Air New Zealand has announced it will weigh passengers on board its planes for "safety reasons".

In a statement issued last Tuesday, the air carrier said that the measure is part of a comprehensive survey and will only affect international passengers.

Travelers can opt out of the survey, and staff will be there to assist those who have decided to go ahead.

Air New Zealand officials explained: "We are conducting a survey to measure the average weight of our passengers, including cabin baggage, on international flights.

They added: "For safety reasons, we need to know the weight of all the items on board. For passengers, crew and hand luggage, we use the average weights we get every five years through this survey."

The airline confirmed that this process will occur before passengers board a plane, but will not lead to flight delays.

The announcement sparked New Zealand controversy, and others raised privacy concerns, but the company reassured them, stressing that those who will participate in this survey do not have to worry about their weights being associated with their names in a guide or displaying their weight in front of everyone.

Air New Zealand says that once you step on the scale, your weight will be recorded directly in the computer and recorded with thousands of other passengers anonymously.