1990. Average “”Passenger and Hand Baggage Weight Survey””

Paper

Abstract

For many years (until the mid 80’s) Olympic Airways used average standard weight figures for passengers and hand baggage recommended by IATA’s Airport Handling Manual, AHM 530 as follows: Adults (M/F): 75 kg, Children (2-12 y.): 35 kg., Infants (below 2y.): 10 kg. After the withdrawing of said standard figures from AHM and the recommendation to the airlines of establishing more realistic figures complying with national regulations and passenger and routes peculiarities, our company proceeded with the weighing procedure described in IATA’s AL-IM 53 1. After extended and time consuming statistics, due to several obstacles which we had to confront both at stations abroad and Athens, the results indicated and verified that the real ”passenger and hand baggage” weights were in many cases higher than the figures actually used. In cases of restricted maxima weights and conditions on limit with the actual weights, this extra weight in the cabin may provoke dangerous conditions, i.e., flight safety and aircraft performance characteristics may be adversely affected. After the results of our study, our intention now is to establish new revised figures corresponding to actual conditions experienced, with the proper approval by the management and the Greek CAA.