Finnair asks passengers to voluntarily step on the scales before flights

09 February 2024 , 11:34

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Finnair, the Finnish airline, is asking passengers to voluntarily weigh themselves before boarding flights

Finnair, the Finnish airline, is asking passengers to voluntarily weigh themselves before boarding flights.

The aim is to gather their own data on passenger weights, with a spokesperson stating: "We will need data for both winter season and for summer season - in winter season people typically have heavier clothing, which impacts weights."

Passengers won't be "penalized for their weight," and all data is kept private. So far, about 800 people have joined the survey. Those who participate receive a small gift. Airlines can either use official data by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, known as EASA, or do their own standard weights measurements, Tallqvist said.

Finnair has chosen the latter, but safety authorities require that the survey is renewed every five years. The last time Finnair weighed passengers was in 2018. The weight figures will be sent to the Finnish transport and communications agency later this year and will be used for balancing aircraft and loading calculations for the period running from 2025 until 2030.

"We hope to have a good sample of volunteers, both business and leisure travelers, also this time, so that we can get the most accurate information possible for important balance calculations," Satu Munnukka, head of ground processes at Finnair, said in a statement.

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Airlines can either use official data by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, known as EASA, or do their own standard weights measurements, Tallqvist said. Finnair has chosen the latter, but safety authorities require that the survey is renewed every five years. The last time Finnair weighed passengers was in 2018.

Lawrence Matheson