In a policy that may anger passengers, airline companies could soon make it mandatory for plus-sized flyers to step on scales before they can get on planes.
Data airlines use to measure passenger weight to guarantee safety may be old as the rate of obesity in the U.S. soars, according to the New York Post.
Airlines may now be required to update their average passenger weight, a blog by View from the Wing says, citing a circular advisory by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The administration wants airlines to get a new update on how much fatter their passengers have gotten, at least for smaller planes.
The administration wants to make sure the total passenger weight will not pose any problem to the plane once it hits the skies.
Airlines may need to calculate a plane's weight and balance and it has to be within allowable limits for the plane for safety reasons.
The administration realizes that passenger weight can vary by destination and airline companies may want to record this difference.
Normal weights may not be appropriate for smaller aircraft, according to TravelPulse.
Under new pending requirements, evaluated by airline industry publication AirInsightGroup, it would become compulsory for airlines to take surveys to set "standard average passenger weights" for crew members, cargo, and passengers through random sampling and call on passengers to participate, Fox5 New York reported.
Passengers have the option of declining "to participate in any passenger or bag weight survey," the guidelines show, according to The New York Times.
