This airline will soon weigh passengers for ‘safety’ reasons

Weighing your luggage is already a standard procedure at the airport — but weighing yourself?

Stepping on a scale before boarding a flight will soon be required for all passenger flying with Uzbekistan Airways, according to a statement released by the company.

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The airline says it will weigh passengers and their carry-on luggage prior to boarding to determine how much weight they will be adding to the plane — for safety reasons, according to the company.

‘According to the rules of International Air Transport Association, airlines are obliged to carry out the regular procedures of preflight control passengers weighing with hand baggage to observe requirements for ensuring flight safety,’ the company said in the statement.

However, an IATA spokesperson told CNN that the organization isn’t aware of this regulation.

‘We are not aware of an IATA rule concerning the weighing of passengers and their hand luggage prior to flight,’ Chris Goater, manager of IATA corporate communications, told CNN.

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How airlines calculate weight

‘All airlines have policies in place for load calculations, weight and balance of their aircraft. These policies in turn are subject to the rules and regulations of their national aviation regulator,’ said Goater.

The Federal Aviation Administration has guidelines for airlines in the U.S. to calculate the average weight passengers add to a plane. The FAA’s latest weight averages define adults as weighing between 190-195 pounds and kids at 82 pounds. The weigh averages do vary based on season, assuming people wear heavier clothes during the winter, which makes them heavier passengers. The FAA’s guidelines also allow for a 16-pound carry-on per passenger.

It isn’t clear yet whether Uzbekistan Airways will charge overweight passengers a fee.

When it comes to passenger weight and size, each airline has different policies concerning people who cannot physically fit into an airplane seat with the armrests lowered and seatbelt buckled. If this is a potential issue for you, you should check with specific airlines’ policies before purchasing a flight.

See more on the FAA’s weight and safety guidelines.