A Finnish airline has begun weighing its passengers, along with their luggage, to better guess weight limits.
Finnair, the country’s flagship airline, said the customer weigh-ins were “voluntary and anonymous” and would help make sure flights did not exceed maximum weight rules.
It said those volunteering to have their weight taken would be weighed with their carry-on baggage and that only the customer service agent doing the weighing would be able to see it.
The airline added that it would not be linked to customers’ personal data.
The weigh-ins have already begun at the departure gates at Helsinki Airport.
So far, more than 500 passengers have voluntarily taken part in weigh-ins, a spokesperson for Finnair said on Wednesday.
However, some have poked fun or expressed anger at the move, with one joking: “Even the airline's name is against people who are overweight.”
A second social media user said: “Finnair are to start weighing their passengers? Have I read that correctly? I am utterly shocked! And disgusted.”
Some have backed the move, saying it was reassuring to know that safety was being taken seriously.
One supporter said: “I am not a thin woman, and I agree with Finnair on this. It is not fat shaming, it is ensuring safety for passengers.
“I'll tell you, I would rather joke about my weight than have something go wrong over weight distribution and end up dead.”
The weight of the aircraft includes the weight of the plane itself, the fuel, checked baggage and cargo, and passengers.
Airlines know the weight of most of the components which go into an aircraft’s total weight, but the weight of passengers is calculated using average weights provided by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) or other similar bodies.
"In the previous measurements five years ago, a good number of volunteers wanted to participate in the weighing, and we hope to have a good sample of volunteers, both business and leisure travellers, also this time, so that we can get the most accurate information possible for important balance calculations," said Satu Munnukka, head of ground processes at Finnair.
