All Nippon Air: Please 'go' before we go
The Japanese airline positioned staff members at the boarding gate to ask passengers to relieve themselves before boarding. The theory: A Boeing 777 holds 247 people; the average human bladder holds 2.2 pounds of liquid; ergo a quick trip to the can could cut a plane's weight by 543 pounds.
The lighter load -- a decrease in weight equal to about four women -- saves fuel and greenhouse gas emissions, All Nippon said. The test ran through the month of October and aimed for a 4.2-ton emission reduction. Did it work? The airline won't, er, spill yet on whether the pre-flight potty trips made a difference.
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