Fat tax urged for airlines' health

OVERWEIGHT passengers should be forced to pay extra for air travel, a former airline economist says. The idea was floated by former Qantas chief economist Tony Webber in a column for Business Day online yesterday.

"People who weigh more should pay more to fly on planes - in the same way that people who exceed their baggage allowance must fork out extra," Mr Webber wrote.

Mr Webber, who left the airline last April, said the weight of an aircraft dictated how much fuel it burnt and airlines may have to raise ticket prices to account for obese jetsetters.

"If the passengers on the aircraft weigh more, the aircraft consumes more fuel and the airline's costs go up," he said. Mr Webber admitted the proposal would be met with "public uproar". However, he pointed to other cases of price discrimination, including by trains, taxis and insurance companies.

He said airline costs had burgeoned since 2000, not only due to higher oil and jet fuel prices, but also "because the average adult passenger is carrying a bit more heft". The economist cited figures showing the average weight of an Australian female adult jumped from 59 to 71 kilograms between 1926 and 2008, while the average male adult weight rose from 72 to 85 kilograms. But the fat tax is unlikely to be introduced any time soon. A Qantas spokeswoman said the airline "has no plans to introduce a surcharge".

A Virgin Australia spokesman said "such a notion is not under consideration". Tiger Airways said it was a passenger's choice to purchase an extra seat for "comfort reasons" while Jetstar said it was not a significant issue in light of the millions of passengers it carries each year.

Mr Webber said the surcharge might be unavoidable as the obesity crisis worsened and the price of jet fuel spiralled upward. The majority of US airlines have introduced rules forcing obese passengers to buy two seats.

Southwest became the first airline to introduce a "customer of size" policy that demands customers who encroach on a neighbouring seat purchase a second ticket, which is refunded if the flight is not full.

United Airlines and Continental Airlines have similar policies, while American Airlines urges passengers to "recognise ahead of time that they may need to purchase two seats".