Jetstar has been instructed to cease using two baggage scales at Wellington Airport following inspections that revealed they did not comply with legal accuracy standards.
In response to a public complaint in September, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) trading standards department conducted an inspection of two portable baggage scales used by Jetstar at Wellington Airport.
Both scales were found to be non-compliant with the Weights and Measures Act 1987, as they were not level during testing and failed to meet their approval conditions.
“Consumers should be confident that the price they pay reflects the correct weight or measure,” MBIE Trading Standards national manager Stephen O’Brien said.
“Investigations and compliance checks are carried out to protect people from being incorrectly charged due to inaccurate weighing.”
Businesses that use weighing instruments for trade, including airlines, are responsible for ensuring their equipment is legally verified, properly levelled, and accurate.
Such instruments must be approved for trade use and verified by an accredited individual.
“Compliance instructions have been issued to Jetstar, and a formal Corrective Action Request sent to the verifier involved to investigate the root cause of the issues identified and to put in place steps to prevent their recurrence. Trading Standards will follow up with both parties to ensure effective resolution of the issues identified and that, in the long term, compliance is achieved,” O’Brien said.
He said even minor inaccuracies in weighing instruments could affect the over 20 million air traveller departures from New Zealand airports in the past year.
Travellers are advised to ensure that baggage scales are level and reset to zero.
It should also display a Mark of Verification.
If a scale seems inaccurate or lacks verification, consumers can reach out to MBIE’s Trading Standards team, which handles complaints and enforces compliance.
If compliance is not met, enforcement measures include infringement notices or prosecution for serious or repeated violations.
Penalties may go up to $10,000 for individuals and $30,000 for companies.
Meanwhile, Jetstar said all its portable baggage scales across New Zealand are regularly checked, serviced, and calibrated by independent specialists in accordance with industry standards and guidelines.
The airline said the two scales identified at Wellington Airport had “minor wheel misalignments that caused the scale plates to sit unevenly”.
“This affected the stability of the units, not their weighing accuracy, and both scales were immediately removed from service. This misalignment would not have resulted in higher weight readings, and any additional baggage fees applied would still have been correct.”