WELLINGTON: A tiny Samoan airline says it will introduce an “XL” class for super-sized passengers, featuring extra-wide rows and special ramps to help them reach their seats. Samoa Air has already pioneered a world first when late last year it began charging passengers fares based on how much they weigh, rather than a set price for each seat. Chief executive Chris Langton said the measure had proved a success and the airline now planned to provide a special service so passengers weighing more than 130 kgs could travel in greater comfort.

“Quite often the access is difficult and... after you’ve squeezed into the seats there’s no room for your legs,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “We don’t have a large fleet of aeroplanes, but we wanted to do something that recognizes that we are thinking about this.”