“This is critical... because an aircraft can run off a runway. It can be catastrophic if we don’t do this,” said Captain Johnny Woods, head of flight operations.

He said the aim of the survey, starting Tuesday 15 December, was to calculate the average weight of passengers and their luggage.

Last week, an SA Airlink aircraft skidded off a runway at George Airport and landed near the N2 freeway. There were 30 passengers on board at the time. Three sustained minor injuries and no fatalities were reported.

The survey is done every five years.

“The 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,” Woods told a media briefing at O.R. Tambo Airport."

The exercise, which was only being carried out in Johannesburg, was in line with the operator’s focus on the safety of passengers.

He said if people and luggage weighed too much, the company might have to resort to reducing the number of passengers on flights.

The survey was voluntary and consisted of two scales — one for the person, and one for hand luggage — set up at terminals.

Meanwhile, Airlink has until next Monday to address issues raised by the transport ministry and SA Civil Aviation Authority, following the George incident, and another near Durban.

Sapa