TRANSCRIPT
REPORTER: Samoa Air claimed a world first last year when it started charging its passengers by their body weight. Now it's launching an extra-large seating class for those over 130 kilogrammes. In a country where almost 60 per cent of the population is considered obese Samoa Air boss Chris Langton says it makes sense.
CHRIS LANGTON, SAMOA AIR CHIEF EXECUTIVE: "We've actually taken out a complete row of seats and replaced it so that there is much more leg room for the passenger. There's no arm rest."
REPORTER: Passengers pay just over a dollar thirty per kilogramme for domestic flights. And it seems passengers are getting used to hopping on the scales at check-in.
UNIDENTIFIED SAMOAN AIR PASSENGER: "It felt crazy when I heard about it...jump on the scales. I was like, what? Jump on the scales? But it's all good, it's not that bad."
REPORTER: Pacific Islands nations have some of the world's highest levels of obesity. The World Health Organisation ranks Samoa at number four for expanding waistlines.