Journalism of Courage
This is an archive article published on August 31, 2023
Korean Air will weigh passengers before they fly; here’s why
To recall, Air New Zealand carried out a similar program earlier this year with more than 10,000 passengers flying with the airline expected to step onto the scales before they board their flight throughout June
Korean Air is the largest airline of South Korea (Source: Pixabay)
Passengers flying with South Korea’s biggest airline, Korean Air, in the next few weeks may soon find themselves getting weighed at the airport. Korean Air said on its website that it would be “measuring the average weight of passengers along with their carry-on items for flight safety”.
According to the airline, this program will affect some travellers departing from Gimpo International Airport (GMP) from August 28 until September 3 and from Incheon International Airport (ICA) between September 8-19, CNN reported.
However, this policy isn’t meant to body shame an individual. Instead, Korean Air is just another airline around the globe that is required to periodically obtain plane weight data. Further, the airline has mentioned that if passengers would prefer not to share their weight, they can opt-out by letting airport staff know.
“Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation (MOLIT) has advised all Korean flag carriers to weigh passengers with their carry-on baggage to update its ‘Aircraft Weight and Balance Management Standards’,” a spokesperson told The Independent.
“This is crucial for the safety of flight operations, and Korean Air complies with this mandate and remains committed to safety, its number one priority,” it further read.
Air New Zealand carried out a similar program earlier this year (Source: Pixabay)
As per the rules, both passengers and luggage will be weighed anonymously and the data will then be shared with the country’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport.
To recall, Air New Zealand carried out a similar program earlier this year with more than 10,000 passengers flying with the airline expected to step onto the scales before they board their flight throughout June.
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“We know stepping on the scales can be daunting. We want to reassure our customers there is no visible display anywhere. No one can see your weight, not even us,” a representative from Air New Zealand, the country’s national carrier, was quoted as saying by CNN at the time.
According to reports, this data helps airlines make decisions about fuel needs and weight distribution on board.
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