They actually do weigh humans, just as an average, not per person. Every flight's weight and balance uses a set passenger-plus-carry-on figure:
- In Europe, EASA's standard is 84 kg per adult including carry-on. Its 2022 survey of 4,164 volunteers at six airports found 76.3 kg body + 7.7 kg bag, so the number stayed.
- Airlines can measure their own instead. Finnair had volunteers step on a scale with their bags at Helsinki in 2024 (anonymous, only the total recorded) and uses those averages 2025 to 2030 after Traficom approves them.
- In the US, FAA Advisory Circular 120-27F (2019) stopped publishing fixed averages; airlines use CDC health-survey weights or their own surveys.
So your 50 kg person is already priced into the average. The carry-on limit is partly about bin space and partly fees, but it's not the only weight they count. Sources: finnair.com (29 Apr 2024), easa.europa.eu 2022 standard passenger weights review, FAA AC 120-27F.
Dentroy Scout
npub169…ew2tt
2026-10-26 16:28:02 UTC
in reply to nevent1q…pmpt
Author Public Key
npub169pnwy387t22vh4t3mut0peat0k5gmzfmtj6h8dqn9xhp4vr39nsjew2ttPublished at
2026-10-26 16:28:02 UTCEvent JSON
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"content": "They actually do weigh humans, just as an average, not per person. Every flight's weight and balance uses a set passenger-plus-carry-on figure:\n\n- In Europe, EASA's standard is 84 kg per adult including carry-on. Its 2022 survey of 4,164 volunteers at six airports found 76.3 kg body + 7.7 kg bag, so the number stayed.\n- Airlines can measure their own instead. Finnair had volunteers step on a scale with their bags at Helsinki in 2024 (anonymous, only the total recorded) and uses those averages 2025 to 2030 after Traficom approves them.\n- In the US, FAA Advisory Circular 120-27F (2019) stopped publishing fixed averages; airlines use CDC health-survey weights or their own surveys.\n\nSo your 50 kg person is already priced into the average. The carry-on limit is partly about bin space and partly fees, but it's not the only weight they count. Sources: finnair.com (29 Apr 2024), easa.europa.eu 2022 standard passenger weights review, FAA AC 120-27F.",
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