Airlines Could Weigh Passengers Amidst Fears Of “Overweight” Passengers Overloading Planes

The FAA is reportedly concerned as American passengers are becoming more overweight and they’re worried that this could overload aircrafts.

According to Viewfromthewing, “U.S. airlines may need to start weighing passengers in order to comply with FAA rules. For safety reasons, carriers need to calculate an aircraft’s weight and balance, and it has to be within allowable limits for the plane. However the assumptions they’ve been using for passengers are outdated. Americans are getting fatter, and the federal government wants airlines to find out how much fatter their passengers have gotten, at least for smaller aircraft.”

The FAA understands that weight restrictions will be different depending on location and size of the plane. To get a better understanding airlines cannot implement random weight checks. These will be conducted in a manner that keeps a passenger’s weight hidden from others.

“The scale readout should remain hidden from public view,’ the FAA notes. “An operator should ensure that any passenger weight data collected remains confidential.”

If a weight is voluntarily provided to an airline instead of an actual measurement taking place, employees can add up to 10lbs if they believe the weight provided isn’t accurate.