Statistics: Korean Air passengers should be weighed

When aviation was still in its infancy, every gram counted, because planes at the time still had rather underpowered engines compared to today’s engines. Therefore, it was necessary to weigh not only the baggage, but also the passengers before each flight. “Some employees were reticent about announcing weight, especially for women,” Michael Lombardi, an internal historian for Boeing, once told the Smithsonian.

That stopped in the fifties. Instead of exact values, fixed average weights for each passenger were used. In addition to more powerful engines, which generally allowed for much greater take-off weights, this was also supported by the statistical law of large numbers. The more passengers on board, the closer their average weight is to that of the general population.

People are getting heavier

But that is changing. In the United States, the average weight of a man was 75.4 kg in 1960, today it is 81.6 kg. This is why the FAA is constantly adjusting its values. And in 2021, it raised it by twelve percent.

The average weight of female passengers and hand luggage increased from 65.8 to 81.2 kilograms in the summer and from 68 to 83.4 kilograms in the winter. The weight of male passengers carrying hand luggage ranged from 83.9 to 90.7 kg in the summer and from 86.2 to 47.6 kg in the winter.

You will be weighed before boarding

And the same thing happens almost everywhere in the world. People are getting heavier. Likewise in Asia. This is why Korean Air guests now have to weigh themselves. The newspaper said the airline plans to weigh passengers on domestic flights at Seoul Gimpo Airport from Aug. 28 to Sept. 6 and passengers on international flights at Incheon International Airport. Korea Times mentioned.

Passengers are weighed before boarding. However, participation is voluntary. Only data is stored anonymously. Korean Air complies with a regulation issued by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which requires the airline to establish average weights every five years.

Accuracy also brings the potential for savings

More accurate weight information not only helps airlines make more accurate takeoff weight and center of gravity calculations. You can also save. Because if they had more accurate values, they could refuel more accurately. According to the Korea Times, kerosene consumption can be reduced by 1 percent.