A Samoa Air that says it is the world’s first carrier to charge passengers by their weight rather than per seat has defended the plan as the fairest way to fly. The airline defended its decision by saying that in some cases flight costs ended up cheaper than conventional tickets.
“The industry has this concept that all people throughout the world are the same size,” Samoa Air CEO Chris Langton told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday. “Aeroplanes always run on weight, irrespective of seats.”
Though the airline instituted the plan last November, it caught attention last week when the carrier began international flights to neighbouring American Samoa.
Samoa Air, which opened in 2012, asks passengers to declare their personal weight during booking, which is then charged per kg (2.2 lb) at a rate dependent on flight length. “There is no doubt in my mind that this is the concept of the future. This is the fairest way of you travelling with your family, or yourself, ” Langton said.
The Pacific Islands contain some of the world’s most prevalent countries for obesity, many ranking in the top ten, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
