For those who are planning to fly from or via Thailand in the near future, you may be in for an interesting surprise at the airport. Following in the footsteps of several global aviation giants, Bangkok Airways is considering the implementation of a somewhat unconventional pre-flight protocol. Soon, passengers may have to step onto a weighbridge before boarding their planes.
This news, which broke on September 16, reveals that airlines are becoming progressively more curious about the collective weight of their passengers. This curiousity is not without reason though. Major carriers like Air New Zealand and Korean Air have already pioneered this intriguing practice of having passengers weighed prior to boarding.
So, what sparked this novel approach? The intent is to understand better the average weight of passengers. This knowledge permits airlines to calculate more accurately their flight loads, ensuring the safety of all aboard and optimizing fuel consumption.
As peculiar as it may sound, this practice is catching on fast within the aviation industry. Bangkok Airways Public Company Limited is now poised to join the ranks of airlines implementing this weight monitoring process. Their goal? To provide better data on average passenger weight, allowing the airline to calculate more precisely the total weight of passengers and their carry-on luggage.
While luggage weight checks are commonplace, and weight limits are standard for carry-on items, one crucial element was previously left out of the aircraft’s overall weight calculations. The passengers’ own body weight. However, this is all set to change.
This initiative primarily seeks to ensure that each flight remains within the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft, thereby enhancing passenger safety. However, this safety measure might feel to some like an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.
From the 15th of September to the 31st of October, Bangkok Airways has formally applied for authorization to weigh passengers, together with their hand luggage, at the boarding gates. The management of the airline is courteously requesting the understanding and support of all passengers to provide their weight data.
The airline guarantees the upmost levels of privacy to its passengers, ensuring that this personal information will not be divulged or made public. The sole objective of collecting passengers’ weight data is to streamline their operations by gathering more accurate data on average weights, leading to safer, more efficient flights.
While this initiative may feel disconcerting to some, the proactive participation and understanding of passengers will certainly contribute to enhancing flight safety and overall efficiency.
It appears that hitting the gym between flights might become a new fad among frequent flyers. More updates related to this new aviation development and other stories can be found on The Thaiger’s latest news postings page HERE.
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