For the month of June, Air New Zealand will be weighing customers travelling on international flights out of Auckland Airport to update its average passenger weight data.
The airline says the process "is essential to the safe and efficient operation of the aircraft and is a Civil Aviation Authority requirement".
Airlines must carefully calculate the weight, balance and fuel requirements of every flight to fly safely and efficiently, which means every now and then they have to make sure their average passenger weight is correct.
When they get it wrong, it can mean luggage gets left behind if the plane needs to reduce weight, as happened with Air NZ's inaugural flight from New York to Auckland last year.
In 2021, Air NZ weighed passengers on its domestic network, but next month the airline will be asking more than 10,000 passengers on international flights to take part in the weight survey.
But people set to fly overseas with Air NZ who may be worried about their weight becoming public information don't need to be concerned.
"We know stepping on the scales can be daunting. We want to reassure our customers there is no visible display anywhere," said the airline's load control improvement specialist Alastair James.
"No one can see your weight - not even us! It's completely anonymous. It's simple, it's voluntary, and by weighing in, you'll be helping us to fly you safely and efficiently."
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has previously confirmed to Newshub the weighing process is hugely important for airlines and the industry as a whole, helping ensure aircraft stay within their structural limitations.
"Operators usually use standard weights for passengers and their carry-on bags to avoid the requirement to weigh each passenger and their bag before the flight," the Government safety agency said in a statement.
"To ensure these standard weights remain accurate, airlines are required to conduct a survey to check this standard figure and update it if necessary. Airlines across the world have been successfully using this technique for many years."
Anyone who does not want to be weighed before flying does not need to take part in the survey.
