Airline asks passengers to use toilet before boarding

A Japanese airline, All Nippon Airways, has started asking its passengers to visit the lavatory before boarding, in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) reasons that empty bladders means lighter passengers, which in turn means lighter aircraft and lower fuel use.

The airline will position staff near the boarding gates in terminals to ask passengers waiting for their flight to relieve themselves before boarding the aircraft.



It hopes that the weight saved will lead to a five-tonne reduction in carbon emissions over the course of a month.

The airline started the unusual policy on 1 October. Initially intended as an experiment lasting one month and 42 flights, ANA says that it may expand the trial if results are positive and it is well received by passengers.

Flying is the fastest-growing source of carbon dioxide emissions, accounting for more than 600 million tons of the greenhouse gas per year.