According to PaddleYourOwnKanoo.com, Finnair will conduct voluntary passenger and hand luggage weigh-ins at its Helsinki hub in February, April, and May.
While the idea of being weighed at the airport might cause concern, Finnair assures that participation in this survey is completely optional, and the data collected won't be tied to individuals' booking information.
The initiative aims to enhance safety by refining aircraft weight and balance calculations using actual passenger weights rather than relying solely on standard weights. The approach is believed to provide more accurate data for flight operations.
Apparently privacy is assured. The data, which includes total weight of passengers and their carry-on baggage, is not linked to names or booking numbers. Only the customer service agent handling the weighing process has access to the total weight.
Finnair conducted a similar passenger weigh-in in 2017-2018, as Finland's civil aviation authority required every five years. The data collected from this round of surveys will be used for aircraft weight and balance calculations until 2030.
Other airlines, such as Air New Zealand, are also mandated to conduct passenger weigh-ins periodically by their respective civil aviation authorities.