A Finnish airline has announced that it will start weighing passengers and their carry-on luggage before take-off. The move is part of a study to estimate the aircraft’s weight better and improve fuel efficiency and safety.
The voluntary and anonymous weigh-ins will occur at Helsinki Airport in February, April and May. Finnair said it would not link the passenger’s eyes to their data, and only the customer service agent working at the scale could see the total weight.
The airline said it uses average weights calculated by the European Aviation Safety Agency for flight balance calculations. However, it wants to see if the data is accurate and reflects the seasonal variations in passengers’ luggage and luggage.
Finnair is not the first airline to introduce such a measure. In the past, Korean Air, Air New Zealand, Hawaiian Airlines, Uzbekistan Airways and Samoa Air have also weighed passengers before boarding. The airlines said that the weigh-ins help them reduce wasted fuel and greenhouse gas emissions and ensure the optimal weight distribution on the plane.
Finnair flies between the UK and Helsinki (Picture: REUTERS)
However, some passengers may find the weigh-ins intrusive or embarrassing and question the need for them. Finnair said that it respects the customers and comfort and that the weigh-ins are not mandatory. The airline also said it hopes to get at least 2,000 volunteers for the study and appreciates the cooperation.
