Air New Zealand has assured passengers that their data will be recorded and stored anonymously, and no specific weight figure will be displayed on the scales.

James, a representative of the airline, explained that knowing the weight of all items on board an aircraft is a “mandatory requirement” set by regulations.

Currently, cargo and onboard meals are already weighed during flights, and collecting additional data will assist Air New Zealand in efficiently planning fuel for their fleet of 104 operating aircraft.

Prior to the pandemic, the airline served approximately 17 million passengers annually, operating 3,400 flights per week.