Now it's getting laughable...

[Greg McDonald]

From NEWS.COM.AU:

A JAPANESE airline has started asking passengers to use the toilet before boarding to reduce aircraft weight. All Nippon Airways has announced that “loo monitors” will be positioned by the boarding gates in terminals to ask waiting passengers to relive themselves before entering the aircraft.

The airline believes that empty bladders will equal lighter passengers, which will mean lighter aircraft and therefore a reduction in fuel use, Japan’s NHK television reports.

All Nippon Airways began the strange policy on October 1 as an experiment, which will last one month.

However, it may expand the trial if it’s successful and well-received by passengers.

It hopes to achieve a five-tonne reduction in carbon emissions over the month.

It is the latest airline to implement extreme cost-cutting measures, with the UK's Ryanair removing check-in desks and Jetstar passengers printing out their own luggage tags.