The airline Finnair started a voluntary weighing policy at departure gates Monday the 5 February 2024. At Helsinki Airport passengers were asked if they would like to get weighed before entering the airplane.
Finnair started this experiment to better estimate the weight of its plane’s cargo before takeoff. The experiment was very well received, and to the airlines surprise, it already had 600 volunteers by Wednesday.
“Our customers have taken it really positively so far. We’ve been quite surprised by people wanting to take part”, says Suvi Aaltonen, a Finnair spokesperson to the media The Guardian.
The airline insists that passengers are not being penalized for their numbers on the weighing scale, and that the numbers are kept discreetly.
Those who agree to take part are thanked for their efforts with a small gift of a reflective baggage tag.
The weight of the passenger and their hand luggage is saved as one number. The weigh-ins are set to continue until May, and will eventually be used for aircraft balance and loading calculations from next year and until 2030.
Source: www.theguardian.com
