An airline has sparked a debate online after revealing that it will ask passengers to step onto the scales at the departure gate.
Finnish company Finnair has introduced a voluntary weighing-in policy at departure gates at Helsinki airport with the aim of estimating the weight of its planes' cargo before takeoff.
The data-collecting initiative began on Monday (February 5) and by Wednesday (February 7), it had already amassed 600 recruits, as reported by The Guardian.
This will be voluntary and anonymous, and it will take place from February, all the way to May.
A former USAF engineer spoke about the initiative to Daily Mail, and remarked that the policy was "long overdue".
"Airlines estimates of weight and weight distribution on aircraft are very important to flight safety. Weights are assumed based on [averages] from decades ago. The bottom line is that people are much larger and heavier than they were decades ago," they added.
The engineer explained that overloaded planes are "flying blind" without up-to-date data, which he cautioned was "extremely dangerous" for the pilot and passengers.
However, some travelers have criticized the procedure, contending that weighing people for safety reasons could be seen as invasive and humiliating.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) slammed: "No way, absolutely unacceptable. Estimate it another way, my weight is my private business." Another person shared a similar view, writing: "It’s so insensitive and triggering."
A third person chimed in: "NO it’s None of the BUSINESS [what] anyone [weight] is," and a fourth added: "It’s 2024! Why is air travel suddenly going backwards?!"
According to The Independent, Satu Munnukka, the head of ground processes at Finnair, disclosed that the measurements being accumulated were "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," Munnukka added.
Once the weight of the passenger and their hand luggage is confirmed, they will be sent to the Finnish transport and communications agency, Traficom, and used by the airline for balance and loading calculations between 2025 and 2030.
