EU Airline Now Requires Passengers to Weigh Carry-Ons Before Boarding

Finnair Passengers Voluntarily Weigh Themselves with Carry-On Bags

Travelers flying with Finnair have begun voluntarily weighing themselves with their carry-on bags before boarding their flights. The practice, introduced as part of an effort to improve the airline’s ability to refine weight estimates for the plane, has seen 800 people volunteer for the trial at Helsinki Airport.

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Passengers who participate in the trial receive a reflective tag as a gift, and both their weight and personal information are kept entirely confidential. Päivyt Tallqvist, Finnair’s senior vice president of communications, emphasized that the process is anonymous and only the staff member monitoring the weighing will see the data.

The airline is collecting data about the average weight of passengers and their hand luggage for the purpose of aircraft balance and performance calculations necessary for the safe operation of flights. The first phase of the trial, which began in early February, saw 800 volunteers, and the airline plans to weigh 1,200 passengers for the winter season and even more for the summer.

Finnair, like several other airlines, uses passenger weight directives provided by the European Aviation Safety Authority. Since 2018, the airline has been conducting its own measurements, which need to be updated every five years to account for changes in passengers’ clothing preferences according to the season.

In January, Finnair reported a 0.4 percent increase in the number of passengers and a 1.3 percent increase in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs). The airline’s network Passenger Load Factor (PLF) declined by three percentage points to 69.2 percent overall, while the total cargo tonnes increased by 17.5 percent year-on-year due to increased Asian and European capacity. Revenue cargo tonne kilometers was up by 16.3 percent.

By collecting its own data on average passenger weight and their hand luggage, Finnair hopes to improve its operations and ensure the safety and efficiency of its flights. This innovative approach to weight estimation demonstrates the airline’s commitment to providing a secure and comfortable travel experience for its passengers.