Procedures

AAVA Standard Passenger and Baggage Weights Policy
SUMMER & WINTER STANDARD WEIGHTS
AAVA Hub Operations • November 1, 2026
STATUS: AAVA HUB OPERATIONS POLICY — EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 1, 2026
1. Policy purpose and scope
Establish uniform AAVA passenger and baggage planning weights for applicable passenger operations across American Airlines, partner and codeshare flying, regional affiliates, Heritage, charter, contractor and event divisions. Cargo-only operations use the applicable aircraft-specific weight-and-balance and cargo-loading data. Aircraft limits and any requirement to use actual weights take precedence over these planning averages.
2. AAVA adopted planning weights
Item
Summer
Winter
Season
May 1–October 31
November 1–April 30
Adult passenger
184 lb
189 lb
Carry-on bag (if separately entered)
19 lb
19 lb
Checked bag (per bag)
32 lb
32 lb
AAVA adopts the following simulation-planning values effective November 1, 2026. Seasonal passenger values reflect a five-pound winter clothing allowance difference. These are AAVA-selected standards, not FAA-mandated universal figures or a claim of real-world American Airlines certification.
3. Flight planning and double-count prevention
·         Determine whether the simulator or flight-planning system passenger weight already includes carry-on baggage. If included, do not add a separate 19 lb carry-on entry.
·         If the passenger weight excludes carry-on baggage, include the carry-on weight only where the profile supports a separate bag entry; document the basis.
·         Checked baggage must be counted consistently by number of bags and entered in the correct field; do not also duplicate the same mass as cargo.
·         Use actual or aircraft-specific weights where necessary for special passenger groups, unusual baggage, regional/light aircraft, or when standard averages are inappropriate.
4. Implementation requirements
·         For AAVA policy purposes, 184 lb (summer) and 189 lb (winter) represent the adult passenger including seasonal clothing but excluding the separately specified 19 lb carry-on. Add the carry-on only where the flight-planning system has not already included it in passenger or cabin baggage weight.
·         For small-capacity regional, turboprop, heritage and special-purpose aircraft, use actual or aircraft-specific weights whenever average weights are not operationally appropriate or required limitations cannot be demonstrated.
·         For flights dated November 1 through April 30, use winter values; for flights dated May 1 through October 31, use summer values. Set the correct values in SimBrief and other planning profiles, including custom profiles. Follow local flight date for seasonal selection.
·         Hub Operations will maintain this policy and communicate changes. Pilots and dispatchers are responsible for applying the appropriate values without duplicating baggage weight.
5. Technical reference
FAA AC 120-27F, Aircraft Weight and Balance Control (May 6, 2019), Chapter 3, provides an example approach using seasonal clothing increments of 5 lb summer and 10 lb winter and discusses standard averages, actual weights, and the suitability of averaging for different cabin sizes. It does not supply the AAVA-adopted 184/189/19/32 lb values as universal FAA-required standards. AAVA is a simulation organization and does not claim FAA OpSpec A099 approval.
FAA reference: https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_120-27F.pdf
6. Scope and exceptions
The specified adult weight is an adult planning average; do not silently use it for child passengers, infants, or nonstandard passenger groups. Apply actual or appropriate aircraft-specific weights where available or required. This policy applies to AAVA simulation operations and does not constitute real-world FAA OpSpec A099 authorization.