Uzbekistan Airways will start weighing their passengers before letting them board the plane, according to the airline’s website.
The carrier writes that,
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.
It is unclear what the motivation behind this policy is. Although the website cites IATA rules, ABC News reported that the association was unaware of any rule that requires airlines to weigh their passengers prior to boarding. However, Uzbekistan Airways is not the only airline doing so. In 2013, Samoa Air started charging its passengers based on how much they weigh.
Uzbekistan Airways’ new policy is not as drastic. The airport staff will send you to a weigh station before you board the plane, but the number that comes out the other end will have no effect on the price you pay nor will it be seen by anyone. They say they’re trying to determine the average weight of passengers with hand luggage, and the only passenger-specific data that will be visible will be whether they are an adult male, adult female, or child.