Air New Zealand is asking passengers to volunteer to be weighed before boarding and reassures them that details will not be shared: 'No one can see your weight, not even us'

Illustrative photo of passenger weighing suitcases; Air New Zealand aircraft.

Jerome Quek/Getty Images; NurPhoto/Contributor/Getty Images

• Air New Zealand is asking passengers to volunteer to be weighed before boarding. 
• The airline said the survey is required by New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority.
• "No one can see your weight – not even us! It's completely anonymous," a representative said.

While it's customary for airlines to weigh their passengers' suitcases, weighing the passengers themselves is not typically part of the check-in routine. 

But that's exactly what Air New Zealand is asking its passengers to do in what it calls a "passenger weight survey." The airline is asking its passengers to volunteer to step on the scales, explaining that the request is mandated by New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority.

"We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft – from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold. For customers, crew and cabin bags, we use average weights, which we get from doing this survey," Alastair James, Air New Zealand's load control improvement specialist, said in a press release. 

Air New Zealand's "passenger weight survey" is voluntary, the airline said.

Courtesy of Air New Zealand

An Air New Zealand representative told Insider that the survey will help its pilots understand the weight and balance of the aircraft before taking off, and allow the airline to better plan for fuel consumption during flights.

Should passengers feel uncomfortable being weighed, they can simply choose to decline to participate in the survey, the representative said. 

"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! It's completely anonymous," James said in the press release.

"It's simple, it's voluntary, and by weighing in, you'll be helping us to fly you safely and efficiently, every time," he added.

According to the press release, the survey is set to take place from May 29 to July 2. Passengers will be asked to volunteer to step on the scales only on select Air New Zealand flights departing from Auckland International Airport.

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