BUDGET airline Ryanair is considering how to impose a "fat tax" after more than 30,000 passengers voted for an extra charge to be applied to overweight passengers. More than 100,000 passengers voted for cost-reduction ideas on the airline’s website, with excess fees for overweight passengers revealed as the most-supported idea.

“Over 100,000 passengers logged on to ryanair.com to take part in our competition and almost one in three (over 30,000) think that very large passengers should be asked to pay a fat tax,” Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said. “These charges, if introduced might also act as an incentive to some of our very large passengers to lose a little weight and hopefully feel a little lighter and healthier.” The airline is now asking passengers to vote for how to implement the charge.

Suggestions include charging per kilogram over 130 kilograms, per inch for every excess waist inch, for every point in excess of 40 points on the Body Mass Index, or charging for a second seat if the passengers’ waist touches both armrests simultaneously. “With passengers voting overwhelmingly for a ‘fat tax’ we are now asking them to suggest which format the charge should take… In all cases we’ve limits at very high levels so that a ‘fat tax’ will only apply to those really large passengers who invade’ the space of the passengers sitting beside them,” Mr McNamara said.

Mr McNamara said that charging overweight passengers more would lead to lower airfares. “The revenues from any such fat tax will be used to lower the airfares for all Ryanair passengers yet further,” he said. While the "fat tax" received the support of 29 per cent of customers, other revenue-raising ideas included charging extra for toilet paper, an idea supported by 25 per cent of customers, a fee to smoke in a converted toilet cubicle, supported by 24 per cent, an annual subscription to access Ryanair.com, supported by 14 per cent, and a fee for passengers who bring their own food, supported by eight per cent.

Last week United Airlines started charging overweight passengers more if they were unable to fit into one seat. The airline now requires overweight passengers to buy a second ticket or upgrade to business class, and face the possibility of being taken off a flight altogether if it’s booked out.

source: news.com.au