Could this be the UK’s first “fat tax”?

Should obese people be charged extra for their excess weight? Ryanair’s passengers think so…

Well, its not quite a tax. But it might have the same effect on passengers concerned.

Ryanair are masters at generating publicity - and its quite likely that the results of their survey are simply being used to reinforce their point about keeping costs low to keep fares low. So treat this news with a pinch of salt.

The newspapers are reporting that, after earlier proposing passengers should pay to use the toilet while flying, Ryanair is now considering the introduction of a ‘fat tax’ on its flights. Almost 30 per cent of users in a Ryanair website competition voted in favour of a scheme to levy charges on overweight passengers! Ryanair has said it is now considering ways of implementing the new scheme - we’ll see!

Under the new proposals overweight passengers could either be charged per kg over 130kg/20 stone (male) and 100kg/15 stone (females), per inch over 45 inch (male) and 40 inch (female), or asked to pay for an extra seat if passengers waists touches both armrests simultaneously.

The proposal raises the interesting prospect of weighing scales and tape measures being used at the departure gate (or check-in). Is this part of a Ryanair strategy to create a male-passenger-only airline (no woman in the world will want to be weighed in public).