Annie Walton Doyle
An airline has announced a controversial move to begin weighing its passengers alongside their luggage as they board flights.
Getting a flight can be pretty stressful at the best of times!
Making sure you’re at the airport on time – and essentially, only carrying the correct amount of luggage – can almost make going on holiday not seem worth the effort!
But now, an airline has managed to add an extra element of horror to catching a flight.
They’ve announced plans to start weighing passengers alongside their luggage when boarding the plane…
Related Article: Airline Pilot Explains Where Your Poo Goes When You Flush It On A Plane
Related Article: People Horrified At Reality Of What Airport Security Could See When You Walked Through X-Ray Machine
People have been left feeling perturbed by the news, with one person joking on Facebook: “Boy, I can’t wait to see how this plays out.”
Another laughs: “Great. Don’t forget to dump in the toilet before boarding.”
A third points out: “I have been saying this for years for safety!”
“I have not heard of a plane crashing because of weight,” adds a fourth.
The flights affected by this new policy will be with Finnair, and coming in and out of the Finnish capital of Helsinki, as per the airline.
It will take place in February and April/May of this year.
Volunteering passengers will be weighed alongside their hand luggage to help the airline make a clearer estimate of the overall heaviness of the plane.
This should help with overall flight safety.
Kaisa Tikkanen, a spokesperson for Finnair, said in a statement per the Manchester Evening News: “Measurements began at Helsinki Airport this week on Monday. So far, more than 500 volunteer customers have participated in the weigh-ins.”
While this may sound a little bit violating, don’t panic – Finnair has put some measures in place to make the weigh-in experience less uncomfortable for passengers.
The airline ensures that ‘the weight of fuel, checked baggage and cargo, onboard catering, water tanks, and of course, customers’ will all be taken into account when calculating the plane’s heaviness.
Plus, the information about the customers’ weight will remain confidential.
“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,” says Satu Munnukka, head of ground processes at the airline.
Related Article: Flight Attendant Explains Why You Shouldn’t Wear Shorts On A Plane
Related Article: Airline Bans Teen From Flying After Using ‘Skiplagging’ Scheme To Save Money
The policy of being weighed before a flight will not impact all passengers.
Rather, it’s a collection of data that will be used to average out passenger weight estimates across all flights.
As the airline explains: “Since 2018, Finnair has used average weights determined based on its own measurements, but the authorities require these figures to be updated every five years. With the previous measurements having been taken in 2017 and 2018, it’s now time to collect updated data.”
Communications director Päivyt Tallqvist tells The Huffington Post: “This is part of having a very strong safety culture in our organisation.
“We want to see if the data we’re using for calculations is accurate. We use them for every flight, and they’re important for the aircraft’s performance.
“When you explain this to them, they understand.”
Do you have a story for us? If so, email us at [email protected]. All contact will be treated in confidence.
