This decision by the major carrier has sparked widespread controversy.
The national airline of Finland has declared its intention to weigh both passengers and their luggage. Finnair stated that this voluntary measure, implemented until May, aims to refine balance calculations for improved flight safety, as reported by the NY Post.
“Finnair will gather data by weighing passengers and their carry-on bags at the departure gate,” the company stated in a release. “Participation in the weighing is voluntary and anonymous, and the collected data will solely be utilized to refine Finnair’s existing aircraft balance calculations.”
Finnair explained that weighing passengers will aid in ensuring the airline does not surpass the designated maximum weight limit before takeoff. The company has committed to not utilizing customers’ personal data for this purpose.
Satu Munnukka, head of Finnair’s ground processes, stated in a release, “We utilize the weighing data for the necessary average calculations to ensure flight safety, and this data is not associated with the customer’s personal information in any manner.” Munnukka emphasized that the airline will not request the name or booking number of passengers volunteering for weighing.
The Post has reached out to Finnair for comment. Numerous individuals expressed shock and dismay at the airline’s decision, sharing their opinions on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I refuse to fly with @Finair if I’m going to be #fatshamed by an airline. Am I the only one? (I never weigh myself: it’s my choice),” one person wrote. “#Finair is planning to weigh their passengers? Did I read that correctly? I am completely shocked! And disgusted,” another user added.
Meanwhile, in May of last year, Air New Zealand also announced its plans to weigh passengers traveling internationally. This data will assist the airline in establishing average passenger weights for future weight and balance calculations necessary for all pilots before takeoff.
