The average weight of Americans has increased over the years. A year-plus pandemic did not help as people were forced to shelter in place that created sedentary habits and excessive stress that resulted in many turning to food to alleviate their anxieties.

Accounting for heavier passengers

With airlines increasing capacities on their flights, concerns have been raised about the weight of passengers and how it impacts safe flying. Industry officials report that passenger pounds are up between five and ten phttps://710keel.com/could-overweight-airline-passengers-endanger-your-life/ercent, along with luggage and other items stored on a plane.

The most likely scenarios where passengers are bumped from their flights or forced to wait longer for their possessions include:

• An increase in temperature, particularly in areas well above sea level that will lead to even more patrons being forced to take a later flight
• Flights that go into particularly strong headwinds that require more fuel due to increased weight on the plane

The change is to ensure that planes are in compliance with flight-manual limitations and reduce overloaded aircraft. Without the change, the consequences could lead to everything from dangerous forced landings to violent and deadly crashes.

Passenger safety at risk?

The revelation that airlines have fallen short to keep up with all types of passenger changes is equally troubling. Weight requirements have gone years without any updates.

Airlines should be putting passenger safety first, as they have tried to do over the course of a worldwide pandemic. However, procrastinating on such an essential matter as passenger safety puts passengers at risk of serious injuries and death.