Reportedly Checked Passenger Weight for Airplane Safety
Regulations Prohibit Disclosing Weight to Other Passengers
A video showing a female passenger being made to step onto a luggage scale by an overseas airline has spread on social media, sparking controversy.
Recently, a video of a woman stepping onto a luggage scale at an airport to weigh herself has rapidly circulated on the video platform TikTok.
Although not shown in the video, it is reported that other passengers waiting to board the plane watched the scene nearby.
The TikTok user who posted the video explained, "For safety reasons, all passengers shared their body weight with the airline crew," adding, "The crew put the woman on the luggage scale because they thought she was lying about her weight."
He continued, "The woman claimed to weigh about 59kg (130 pounds)," and added, "Since it was a small passenger plane, it seems that knowing the exact weight was necessary for safety reasons."
As the video spread, some netizens criticized, saying, "How could they put her on the scale with other people watching?"
On the other hand, some opinions stated, "Small passenger planes are originally sensitive to weight," and that it was a necessary process for safety.
Meanwhile, the actions of the airline staff who weighed the passenger are known to have no legal issues.
According to American media such as the New York Post, in 2021, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced that small passenger planes could request passengers' weight information to ensure they do not exceed the allowed weight limit.
Generally, airlines calculate weight by combining the empty aircraft weight, passenger weight, cargo, and fuel load.
However, the average passenger weight data previously held by the FAA did not reflect the obesity rate in the U.S., so passengers are allowed to be weighed for more accurate calculations.
However, according to regulations, weight information must not be disclosed to other passengers.
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