(CNN) "Now if you could please step on the scale, we need to check your weight." 
 
 A common request at your doctor's office, sure. 
 
 But at the airport? 
 
 It's about to become standard procedure for anyone flying with Uzbekistan Airways. 
 
 In a recent statement, the country's flag carrier announced it will weigh passengers and their carry-on luggage prior to flights to determine how much weight they'll be adding to the plane. 
 
 "According to the rules of International Air Transport Association, airlines are obliged to carry out the regular procedures of preflight control passengers weighing with hand baggage to observe requirements for ensuring flight safety," says the airline's statement. 
 
 Photos: Travel innovators Photos: Travel innovators Ruzwana Bashir, Peek.com – Peek.com is best described as digital concierge, a one-stop site for travelers looking to book -- or simply learn about -- truly one-of-a-kind experiences. Co-founder and CEO Ruzwana Bashir's efforts haven't gone unnoticed. She's on Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs list, Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Technology list and is one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People. Hide Caption 1 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Roberto Milk, NOVICA – Roberto Milk came up with the idea to create an online, fair trade marketplace for local artists to sell their handmade works of art while working as an investment banker. Today, NOVICA features over 45,000 pieces of limited edition and one-of-a-kind handmade works of art. Hide Caption 2 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Harri Kulovaara, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. – Harri Kulovaara has a passion for creating the biggest, most thrilling ships. In fact, he's behind the world's two biggest passenger ships -- Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas -- each one rocking 16 decks, over 2,700 staterooms and the capacity to carry more than 6,000 passengers. Hide Caption 3 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators North Star Viewing Pod – Kulovaara helped launch the world's first smartship -- Quantum of the Seas -- in 2014. This monster has virtual balconies, skydiving at sea, a North Star viewing pod (pictured) and much more. Hide Caption 4 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Layton Han, ADARA – Next time you get a tweet from an airline about a potential seat upgrade opportunity, it's more than likely Layton Han was behind it. His company ADARA collects information from 300 million travelers to customize marketing and advertising messages, personalize websites and tailor customer communications based on individual preferences. Hide Caption 5 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Dale Moser, Coach USA/megabus.com – Armed with a state-of-the-art fleet of double-decker buses equipped with Wi-Fi, power outlets and the latest safety technology, Dale Moser is making bus travel hip again. By marketing to college students and young professionals, Moser has guided Coach USA, Coach Canada and Megabus.com into a $700 million business. Hide Caption 6 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Chris Lopinto, ExpertFlyer.com – Popular website and app ExpertFlyer was born out of founder Chris Lopinto's own bad experiences as a frequent flier. Thanks to him, travelers know what they're really getting when they book that cheap online flight deal. Hide Caption 7 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Zeke Adkins and Aaron Kirley, Luggage Forward – Aaron Kirley and Zeke Adkins, co-founders of Luggage Forward, were inspired by the wild idea that your bags should actually arrive at the destination the same time you do. With minimal hassle. Hide Caption 8 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Luggage Forward – Luggage Forward offers a reliable and cost-effective door-to-door luggage delivery service that saves time, fees and customs hassles. Hide Caption 9 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Travis Kalanick, Uber – Travis Kalanick launched Uber in June 2010 in San Francisco. Today, the app is available for ride seekers in more than 290 cities on six continents. Hide Caption 10 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Ed Kushins, HomeExchange.com – In 1992, California-based Ed Kushins came up with the the idea of trading bedrooms with a complete stranger for those who love to save money and live like a local when on vacation, leading him to produce a printed, mailed book. Today it's the largest online home exchange network in the world. Hide Caption 11 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Geraldine Caplin, Hilton Worldwide – Walking up to the check-in counter of a hotel could soon be an old school experience thanks to the technological leadership of Geraldine Calpin of Hilton Worldwide. Hide Caption 12 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Hilton Worldwide Tablet – Hilton's new initiative allows guests to browse floor plans at over 4,100 properties globally before making a personalized room selection. Hide Caption 13 of 13 
 
 An IATA spokesperson, however, tells CNN the organization isn't aware of any such regulation. 
 
 "We are not aware of an IATA rule concerning the weighing of passengers and their hand luggage prior to flight," says Chris Goater, manager of IATA corporate communications, via email. 
 
 "All airlines have policies in place for load calculations, weight and balance of their aircraft. These policies in turn are subject to the rules and regulations of their national aviation regulator." 
 
 Uzbekistan Airlines says passengers will be weighed on scales in airport departure zones. 
 
 "The weighing record will only contain the corresponding passenger category (i.e. male/female/children). As for the rest, the full confidentiality of results is guaranteed." 
 
 How commercial airliners measure weight/mass 
 
 Aviation bodies like the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency have issued formulas for airlines to calculate the average weight passengers are adding to a plane. 
 
 Most commonly, that involves applying an average passenger-mass value. 
 
 For instance, the latest FAA guidelines on aircraft weight and balance control set individual passenger weight averages at 190-195 pounds for adults and 82 pounds for kids, depending on whether it's summer or winter. (Based on the assumption people wear heavier clothing in winter.) 
 
 These figures also include a 16-pound allowance for personal items and carry-on bags. 
 
 Pay-as-you-weigh airfares? 
 
 Uzbekistan Airways hasn't responded to CNN's request for clarification on the new guidelines and whether overweight passengers will be penalized. 
 
 Should it make the controversial move to charge fliers extra, it wouldn't be the first time. 
 
 In 2012, Samoa Air made global headlines by introducing a pay-as-you-weigh fare structure, which is still in place today 
 
 Photos: Airline fees you didn't know you were paying Photos: Airline fees you didn't know you were paying 
 
 
 
 Joe Brancantelli, a travel journalist who runs the travel website 
 
 
 
 "I think it comes down to this: Airline executives are convinced you pay too little for transport from point A to point B. So they lard their fare with all sorts of extra fees," he says. 
 
 
 
 Not sure what you're paying for? Consider this your airline fee cheat sheet. 
 
 
 
 TSA fees 
 
 
 
 One fee that irks travelers and carriers alike is the U.S.-government imposed TSA security fee. The fees started post-9/11, and were a moderate $2.50 per journey leg. Last year, the fee more than doubled, less for increased security measures and more as a means of battling the U.S. federal deficit. 
 
 
 
 "Carriers were not happy about this last year," recalls Alexandria Williams, spokeswoman for Few things lately seem to be as prolific as airline fees. It seems even the most generous carriers are done absorbing the costs of things like printing out boarding passes or supplying meals. American carrier JetBlue was one of the last remaining airlines that didn't charge customers for checked bags, but even they changed their tune recently.Joe Brancantelli, a travel journalist who runs the travel website JoeSentMe , says the trend is unlikely to end anytime soon."I think it comes down to this: Airline executives are convinced you pay too little for transport from point A to point B. So they lard their fare with all sorts of extra fees," he says.Not sure what you're paying for? Consider this your airline fee cheat sheet.One fee that irks travelers and carriers alike is the U.S.-government imposed TSA security fee. The fees started post-9/11, and were a moderate $2.50 per journey leg. Last year, the fee more than doubled, less for increased security measures and more as a means of battling the U.S. federal deficit."Carriers were not happy about this last year," recalls Alexandria Williams, spokeswoman for FareCompare , with many industry groups, including Airlines for America and the International Air Transport Association, kicking back. Some hoped the airlines might absorb the fees, but for the most part, these have been passed on back to the passenger. Hide Caption 1 of 6 Photos: Airline fees you didn't know you were paying Fuel surcharge – Fuel charges started popping up on international flights nearly a decade ago, confusing many a passenger who were lured in by a reasonable base fare only to discover this mysterious fee nearly doubled the price of ticket. Supposedly, the "fuel surcharge" was meant to reimburse the airlines for high oil prices. As oil prices have fallen, however, this fee has remained. To further confuse passengers, many airlines have renamed the fee. Some carriers now refer to it as an "airline surcharge" or some variation of a "carrier-imposed fee." 
 
 
 
 Brancantelli objects to the difficulty in interpreting these fees. 
 
 
 
 "Airlines around the world need to do a better job of showing you the breakdown of fares," he says. 
 
 Hide Caption 2 of 6 Photos: Airline fees you didn't know you were paying Boarding pass fees – Budget airlines are increasingly passengers for services that were once complimentary, namely, seat assignment and printing of boarding passes. One of the most obvious offenders in this department is Irish budget carrier RyanAir, which charges an additional $108 for airport check-in. Increasingly, airlines are also charging passengers for the right to choose their seat -- a service that can easily cost an extra $25 per passenger. 
 
 
 
 "Airlines have made so much profit from fees that you can believe they are finding new ways for fees to help generate more revenue," notes Williams. Hide Caption 3 of 6 Photos: Airline fees you didn't know you were paying Admin fees – What exactly are these mysterious admin fees, which tend to pop up (on top of the advertised base fee) on international flights? Mainly, says Brancantelli, these are fees to pay for an airline's website. Hide Caption 4 of 6 Photos: Airline fees you didn't know you were paying Credit card fees – Credit cards have become the lingua franca for financial transactions. Alas, airlines increasingly charge passengers extra for the privilege of charging their upcoming trip. Fees vary, with some carriers charging a flat rate (both Air France and American Airlines, for instance, charge $7 when booking in the UK), while others charge a percentage (Flybe charges an extra 3% per ticket from the UK). 
 
 
 
 These fees can be avoided, says Williams, but not without extra legwork. 
 
 "You have to go out to the airport and make the reservation there," she warns. 
 
 
 
 Alternatively, passengers can book over the phone -- though there's usually a fee for that as well. Hide Caption 5 of 6 Photos: Airline fees you didn't know you were paying Agriculture fees – Passengers also pay to keep the skies safe from agricultural diseases. The agriculture fee (obligatory on all international flights landing in the U.S.) is issued to help the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service "defend America's animal and plant resources." Hide Caption 6 of 6 
 
 "The next step is for the industry to make those sort of changes and recognize that, 'Hey, we are not all 72 kilograms [about 160 pounds] anymore and we don't all fit into a standard seat,'" Chris Langton, Samoa Air chief executive told CNN in 2013 
 
 "What makes airplanes work is weight. We are not selling seats, we are selling weight." 
 
 The airline's motto? 
 
 "A kilo is a kilo is a kilo!" ||||| Uzbekistan Airways passengers will be directed to a “special weighing machine” at the departure gate, to determine each person's average weight with their hand baggage. 
 
 The airline said that individual passengers' weights would not be disclosed, and “full confidentiality of results is guaranteed”, with the weighing machine only categorising passengers by sex and into adult and child groups. 
 
 “According to the rules of International Air Transport Association, airlines are obliged to carry out the regular procedures of preflight control passengers weighing with hand baggage to observe requirements for ensuring flight safety", the company said in a statement . 
 
 The Tashkent-based airline, whose motto is "safety, stability, comfort", has not made it clear whether larger passengers will be charged a fee, or excluded from flights on smaller planes. 
 
 It is also not known what measures would be taken should the total weight of the passengers and their hand luggage appear to exceed an aircraft’s weight limit and guidelines. 
 
 More than 44 per cent of those 20 years and older in Uzbekistan were found to be overweight, while nearly 15 per cent were obese, according to estimates from 2008 reported by the World Health Organization. The report predicts that in 2020, 13 per cent of men and 20 per cent of women in the same age group will be obese. 
 
 Uzbekistan Airways operates numerous routes throughout eastern Europe and Russia, and between London and Tashkent. It is sometimes used for internal or regional flights by tour operators offering "Silk Road" and central Asia tours. 
 
 • Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan: blue-domed cities of the Silk Road 
 
 Telegraph Travel received an overwhelming response to a recent story on a man who attempted to sue Etihad Airways after he claimed he was left with back pain from sitting next to an obese passenger. Claire Mackichans wrote that her husband endured a nine-hour flight from Los Angeles next to a large gentleman, whom she said was so overweight, "he needed to shuffled sideways along the aisle and bring his own seatbelt extension onto the flight with him. He intruded at least 20cm into my husband's seat and was so large he couldn't fold down his tray table. Virgin Atlantic flight staff were unhelpful when my husband complained on two occasions during the flight. He had paid for a seat but was having to share half of it with another passenger. No other seat was available apparently." 
 
 Uzbekistan Airways is not the first airline to keep an eye on passengers' weights. In 2013, Samoa Air became the world’s first airline to charge passengers by their weight rather than per seat, in a bid to raise obesity awareness and improve public health. The Pacific island nations served by the carrier have some of the world's highest rates of obesity. 
 
 The Pacific national airline allows passengers to nominate their weight and then measures them on scales at the airport. Passengers do not pay for a seat but pay a fixed price per kilogram, which varies according to the length of the route. At the time, the head of Samoa Air, Chris Langton, said the system was fairer and that some families with small children were now paying substantially cheaper fares. 
 
 In the same year, the airline also introduced a special "XL class" to cater for larger passengers, creating a a wider row on its aircraft for passengers weighing more than 286 pounds (130 kilograms).
– Uzbekistan Airways has introduced what it says are "special weighing machines" at departure gates—and you need to get on one before you fly. In a press release, the Central Asian airline says that under International Air Transport Association regulations, "airlines are obliged to carry out the regular procedures of pre-flight control passengers weighing with hand baggage," though an IATA spokesman tells CNN the organization has never heard of that regulation before. The airline says "full confidentiality of results is guaranteed." Nearly half of Uzbek adults are overweight and it's not clear whether the airline plans to start charging them extra, the Telegraph reports. (In 2013, Samoa Air started charging passengers by their weight.)