Korean Air to weigh passengers on international flights

By Hoang Phong August 22, 2023 | 10:41 pm PT

Korean Air's passenger planes are on the tarmac at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, March 24, 2020. Photo by Reuters

South Korea's flag carrier Korean Air said it would weigh passengers and their carry-on luggage on domestic and international flights to ensure aviation safety, as well as reduce excessive fuel use.

The airline will weigh passengers, including their carry-on baggage, with domestic passengers at Gimpo International Airport from Aug. 28 to Sept. 6, and at Incheon Airport for passengers on international flights from Sept. 8 to 19, The Korea Herald reported.

The measure complies with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's aviation regulations, which mandate the assessment of standardized passenger weight that encompasses their carry-on items.

The collected data will be kept anonymous and used for safety operations, according to the airline.

Passengers who refuse to participate in the measurements can inform staff at the time of boarding.

Some airlines like Hawaiian Airlines in the U.S. and Finnair in Finland also check the weight of their passengers.

Domestic airlines in South Korea, such as T'way Air and Jeju Air, have conducted weight measurements since 2018.