Air New Zealand Asks Passengers to Weigh Themselves Before Boarding Flights

Air New Zealand.Photo:Getty Images

Getty Images

Air New Zealand.Getty Images

James shared more details about the survey’s importance in an interview withtheTodayshow. “It’s a regulatory requirement for us to know the weight of everything that goes on the aircraft and there’s a good reason for that,” he said. “To fly safely and efficiently, we need to be able to calculate the weight and balance of the aircraft each and every time we fly.”

Regular check-in won’t be altered for those taking part, as passengers volunteering for the survey will also have to place their luggage on a separate scale before boarding.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Air New Zealand said it hopes 10,000 passengers will weigh in before boarding flights. Anyone departing from Auckland in the next month need not worry about details of their BMI being shared either, as the weight will be recorded anonymously.

Despite this, the weight-related survey has received backlash, with someTodayviewers saying they felt it was a “violation of privacy."“We know stepping on the scales can be daunting. We want to reassure our customers there’s no weight shown on the screen, it’s just captured and goes straight into the computer,” James added.

source: people.com