奇速英语

上飞机前先称体重？新西兰航空公司请乘客登机前先上秤

New Zealand’s national airline is asking passengers to step on the scales (秤) before they board international flights.

Air New Zealand says it wants to weigh 10,000 passengers during a month-long survey so pilots can better know the weight and balance of their planes before takeoff. But the numbers from the scales won’t be flashing up for all to see. There will be no visible display anywhere, the airline promised, and the weigh-in data will remain anonymous even to airline staff.

“We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft — from the goods that it is carrying to the meals onboard, to the luggage (行李) in the hold,” said Alastair James, a load control improvement specialist for the airline. “For customers, crew and cabin bags, we use average weights, which we get from doing this survey.”

In fact, the numbers are required by the nation’s industry watchdog, the Civil Aviation Authority. Under the authority’s rules, airlines have various options to estimate passenger weight. One option is to carry out surveys like Air New Zealand is doing at fixed periods to establish an average weight. Another option is to accept a standard weight set by the authority.

Currently, the authority’s designated (指定的) weight for people 13 and over is 86 kilograms, which includes carry-on luggage. The authority last changed the average passenger weight in 2004, increasing it from 77 kilograms.

Health statistics show . The latest national health survey put the adult obesity (肥胖) rate at 34%, up from 31% a year earlier. Childhood obesity rates increased to 13%, up from 10% a year earlier.

Customers on Air New Zealand domestic flights were asked to weigh in a couple of years ago. James said there was nothing for passengers to fear by stepping on the scales.