It's fine for a an airline to be estimating weights ahead of time with this kind of approximate model, but the final check that the craft is within the safety envelope should be done by weight sensors on the wheels...
Allowing the use of approximate models leads to airlines trying to push the boundaries to earn more profits (when paid per kilo for cargo, an overloaded plane is more profitable than a correctly loaded one).
This wasn't a safety issue because the aircraft was overloaded, article doesn't mention it being over max takeoff weight or even if it had enough fuel loaded, it was specifically the thrust settings on take off which doesn't really impact airline bottom line. Weighing the plane does seem like the answer.
Comments
It's fine for a an airline to be estimating weights ahead of time with this kind of approximate model, but the final check that the craft is within the safety envelope should be done by weight sensors on the wheels...
Allowing the use of approximate models leads to airlines trying to push the boundaries to earn more profits (when paid per kilo for cargo, an overloaded plane is more profitable than a correctly loaded one).
This wasn't a safety issue because the aircraft was overloaded, article doesn't mention it being over max takeoff weight or even if it had enough fuel loaded, it was specifically the thrust settings on take off which doesn't really impact airline bottom line. Weighing the plane does seem like the answer.