Johannesburg. 15 December 2009. South African Airways (SAA) has begun its Voluntary Passenger Weighing survey at O.R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.

The aim of the survey, which is held every five years, is to calculate the average weight of an SAA passenger and their hand luggage.

This information is then used, with the average weights of cargo, fuel and checked-in baggage, to calculate the correct and safe take-off and landing weight of an aircraft.

The exercise is in line with SAA’s priority focus on safety and providing passengers with peace of mind when flying with the airline.

“SAA strives to offer the highest levels of safety to its passengers. We will do all in our power to maintain these levels and to continue building onto them.

“Determining the average passenger weight is absolutely critical in maintaining these standards,” says Captain Johnny Woods, SAA Head of Flight Operations and Chief Pilot.

During this year’s survey SAA’s target is to weigh at least 4000 passengers travelling on the airline’s international, regional and domestic routes out of our hub in Johannesburg, O.R Tambo International Airport in just under two weeks.

We have also begun weighing our flight deck and cabin crew staff and this information will be included in the average weight calculation. At least 300 crew will be weighed.

The weighing process is completely voluntary and passengers are not obliged to participate. Passenger participation is however greatly appreciated by SAA as this contributes towards the airline offering the highest levels of safety in its operations.

“The success of the survey is entirely dependent on the support of our passengers and their understanding that they can make a difference and contribute towards an even safer flying experience with SAA,” says Captain Woods.

The process involves passengers and hand luggage weighed on a special calibrated scale connected to a monitor which reads and captures the weight. The entire process takes only a few seconds and is done as discreetly as possible with the monitors attached to the scale out of the travelling public’s view.

SAA’s last full scale passenger weighing survey was completed in 2004 and a smaller one done in 2005. In January 2007, SAA’s London route was the target of another snap survey.

The snap surveys assist in fine-tuning results and are useful in establishing whether passengers are adhering to the required standards in terms of hand luggage weight restrictions.

In the past it has been necessary for SAA to launch awareness campaigns reminding passengers of the importance of keeping to hand luggage weight restrictions to ensure safety.

In 2004, when over 5000 volunteers participated, the weighing survey found passengers were carrying an average of 3.1kg additional hand luggage.

Passengers are allowed no more than one piece weighing 8kg’s in Economy Class and two pieces weighing 8kg each in Business Class.