Weighing passengers before boarding: Why this airline initiative raises questions
Finnish company Finnair has decided to weigh its passengers before boarding their planes. The reason? Determine the average weight of the aircraft for safety during takeoff.
At Finnair, we don’t just weigh luggage… passengers have to weigh the scales too. An original initiative but not without reason. The Finnish company is actually conducting a three-month study at Helsinki Airport, according to our colleagues Figaro. Since the initiative started on Monday February 5, 600 volunteers have been weighed so far.
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Finnair reassures travelers about their concerns: these weights will be “voluntary and anonymous” and only check-in agents will have access to this data. Passengers are weighed with their luggage.
Finnish national carrier Finnair said on Friday it began this week to voluntarily and anonymously step on a scale with passengers with their luggage at the country’s main airport in Helsinki to collect data for efficiency.#plane pic.twitter.com/cxry9bCLbP
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) February 10, 2024
According to The Guardian, the company insists that passengers are not penalized for their weight. “Only the customer service agent working at the measurement point can see the total weight, so you can participate in the study with complete peace of mind,” the company assures. Those who agree to participate are thanked with a small gift: a reflective luggage tag.
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Controlled weight, safe takeoff
Another piece of data that will allow the company’s pilots to take off safely. Typically, this includes the weight of the plane, fuel, cargo, on-board catering, water tanks, baggage and of course, passengers.
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But the weight of the passengers was estimated based on the average weight. This study will make it possible to obtain more accurate information regarding the balance calculations of the device.