AN A319 FLT CREW TOOK OFF AFTER RECEIVING FINAL WTS AND APPROX 40 MINS LATER RECEIVED A CORRECTION TO THE WTS.

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ON THIS FLT WE WERE DUE OUT AT XA15Z. AT XA12Z I ASKED OPS FOR A DELAY UPDATE AND ANY INFO. HE RESPONDED THAT 'YOU WERE GOING TO WAIT FOR CONNECTS BUT NOW THAT'S CHANGED. YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR PAPERWORK SHORTLY.' I RECEIVED PAPERWORK ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER. NUMBERS WERE PROVIDED AS FOLLOWS: PAX = 128; 2 CHILD 2 LAPS. ZERO FUEL WT = 121208. ZERO FUEL CTR OF GRAVITY - 31.8. GROSS TKOF WT = 140544. WE PUSHED AT XA28Z AND TOOK OFF AT XA38Z. AT XB19Z VIA ACARS WE RECEIVED A MESSAGE WITH THE FOLLOWING: 'UPDATED NUMBERS FROM LOAD PLANNING.' PAX = 112 PLUS 2 LAPS (DIFFERENCE OF 18 PAX). ZERO FUEL WT = 117788 (DIFFERENCE OF 3420 LBS). TKOF GROSS WT = 137124 (DIFFERENCE OF 3420 LBS). ESTIMATED LNDG WT = 124334 (DIFFERENCE OF 3420 LBS). STABILIZER TRIM = 0.30 UP (.1 DIFFERENCE). OBVIOUSLY; WE WERE GIVEN NUMBERS FOR PROJECTED CONNECTIONS THAT WE AS A FLT CREW HAVE NO WAY TO VERIFY. THE ONBOARD CREW IS NO LONGER TO VERIFY AND HEAD COUNT PAX. THIS POSES BOTH AN ACCOUNTABILITY PROB WITH SOULS ON BOARD AND AN OPERATIONAL PROB BY TAKING OFF WITH GROSSLY INACCURATE DATA. HAVE CABIN CREWS PROVIDE AN ACCURATE HEAD COUNT OF PAX.