Why do poultry carcasses lose weight during air chilling?

In the context of poultry processing, air chilling causes carcasses to lose weight primarily due to dehydration.1

During the air chilling process, carcasses are suspended by shackles and transported through coolers exposed to rapidly moving air. This environment facilitates the evaporation of moisture from the surface of the birds, resulting in a net loss of weight. This contrasts with water chilling, which typically leads to an increase in weight as the carcasses absorb water during the immersion process.12