You Must Now Board a Scale Before You Board a Flight

The Uzbekistan flag carrier is set to begin weighing passengers prior to takeoff as part of a new safety measure.

Flyers aboard Uzbekistan Airways now have to worry about a new type of weight restriction — their own. USA Today reports that the Uzbekistani flag carrier will begin weighing passengers and their carry-ons before permitting to them to board, calling it a  “safety” precaution.

According to the Uzbekistan flag carrier, none of the policy changes would affect the check-in process. However, upon checking in, passengers would be asked to visit a “special weighing machine” located near departure gates. The scale would note the combined weight of the passenger and their luggage, categorizing the total weight as belonging to a man, woman or child.

“Uzbekistan Airways airline is carrying out the procedure of pre-flight weighing in order to determine the average weight of passengers with hand luggage,” the airline said in in an initial statement. “According to the laws of the International Air Transport Association, airlines are obliged to carry out regular procedures of pre-flight control such as weighing passengers with hand luggage in order to observe the requirements for ensuring flight safety.”

The statement has since been modified on the airlines’ website.

While the supposed move reflects a trend of collecting the weight of carry-on items, primarily carry-on luggage, the carrier would be among a select group of airlines that have revised policies in accordance with passengers’ growing waistlines. Southwest Airlines has a “Customer of Size” policy that requires large flyers to purchase two seats if they cannot comfortably fit in one seat, while Samoa Air operates a system where flyers pay based on their weight.

Uzbekistan Airways flies one international route to the U.S., operating flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. The airline has not indicated if flyers out of JFK would also be subject to the new guidelines.

[Photo: iStock]