AIRLINES Agency says planes carry more weight

The FAA added 10 pounds to its estimate of how much passengers weigh.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Not only have Americans gotten heavier, but so have the bags they carry onto planes.
The government acknowledged both of those trends on Monday when it raised its 8-year-old estimates of how much passengers and their luggage weigh. The new standard was prompted after a crash last winter that killed all 21 people aboard a commuter plane in Charlotte, N.C.
The Federal Aviation Administration is adding up to 10 pounds to its estimate for passengers and 5 pounds to luggage. The weights are used to gauge whether a plane is overloaded.
The new weight standards are temporary until a committee to be appointed by the FAA conducts a broad, in-depth survey of passengers' weights, which will form the basis for a permanent standard, FAA spokeswoman Diane Spitaliere said.
Instead of weighing all passengers and their bags, airlines generally use official government estimates to determine whether a plane is too heavy to fly safely.
The numbers
The FAA's new estimate is that passengers weigh 190 pounds, including clothing and carry ons. The old standard was 180 pounds for summertime travelers and 185 for winter.
Children 2 to 12 will continue to be estimated at 80 pounds. Checked bags now will be estimated to weigh 30 pounds rather than 25.
Spitaliere said U.S. air carriers have 90 days to implement the changes. Airlines will have the option of using their own estimates if they survey their passengers' weight within that time.