Airline announces plans to begin weighing passengers with carry-on luggage

An airline has announced plans to begin weighing passengers with carry-on luggage in a bid to help with ‘aircraft balance calculations’.

Being weighed is hardly a pleasant experience at the best of times, but imagine what it’s like having to jump on the scales with your luggage – a process that will surely only highlight how many unnecessary pairs of shoes you’ve decided to bring along for your hol.

That’s exactly what one airline has said it’s doing... But don’t worry, it’s not quite what it sounds like.

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Finnish airline Finnair confirmed in a press release that it would be weighing passengers at Helsinki Airport to help ‘optimise’ its current aircraft baggage calculations.

“Each aircraft has a set maximum weight to ensure a safe take-off, and this weight cannot be exceeded,” it explained, adding that the weight of the aircraft includes the ‘weight of the aircraft itself and the weight of fuel, checked baggage and cargo, onboard catering, water tanks, and of course customers’.

“While airlines know the weight of all other aspects, the weight of customers and their carry-on baggage is calculated using average weights confirmed by the Civil Aviation Authority.

“The alternative option is for airlines to either use their own measurements and confirmation of their results by the authority, or use standard weights defined by the European Aviation Safety Authority EASA.”

The airline will be collecting data on the average weight of passengers and their luggage in February, and then again between April and May.

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And don’t worry, it’s entirely voluntary – so if you’re feeling ashamed about how many outfits you’ve packed for your trip, you can board without having to go anywhere near those scales.

The process is also anonymous, as it’s purely so Finnair can collect data for calculating aircraft balance.

Satu Munnukka, Head of Ground Processes at Finnair, said: “We use the weighing data for the average calculations required for the safe operation of flights, and the collected data is not linked in any way to the customer's personal data.”

“We record the total weight and background information of the customer and their carry-on baggage, but we do not ask for the name or booking number, for example.

“Only the customer service agent working at the measuring point can see the total weight, so you can participate in the study with peace of mind.”