Do you have to weigh yourself before boarding your next flight? This measure is currently under discussion…
Incredible as it may seem, many airlines are currently in talks with Fuel Matrix, the British start-up behind the project.
Its aim: to weigh aircraft passengers before they fly, in order to estimate as accurately as possible the fuel required for the flight.
A measure which, according to the company, would reduce fuel costs, limit CO2 emissions into the air, and improve the safety of every flight.
Although the idea is already causing controversy, a device could eventually enable users to be “weighed” when they check in. Discreet weighing, using a scale embedded in the floor, to calculate on the fly the fuel required to transport all the passengers and their luggage.
The scale would take the form of a “pressure cushion” which would anonymously transmit its data to a computer algorithm. Matrix Fuel is adamant that the data it collects will be anonymized, secured and promptly destroyed once the theft has been completed.
However, such a measure raises a number of questions: will overweight people be overcharged for boarding? Will a pricing policy be implemented on a case-by-case basis? Couldn’t this kind of weighing up lead to the stigmatization of “stronger” people?
Fuel Matrix’s reassuring answer to all these questions is: no, there will be no tax for the time being, if its system is adopted by the airlines.
The company emphasizes the economic and environmental benefits of its solution.
According to Fuel Matrix, airlines currently calculate the fuel required for a journey based on a “high average” of passenger weight. (88kg for men, 70kg for women and 35kg for children). According to Fuel Matrix, this average tends to be overestimated, resulting in a considerable loss, directly attributable to ticket prices.
According to the start-up, accurate fuel estimation could generate substantial fuel savings of up to 870 million euros a year. It remains to be seen whether this proposal will be accepted by passengers…
More news
