Finnair says on its website that the new customer weigh-in policy will be voluntary, and will be anonymous — other passengers will not be able to see an individual’s weight. The pilot program at the company’s Helsinki Airport hub will allow passengers and carry-on bags to be weighed at the departure gate. Customers would stand on a scale with their luggage at the same time for a combined reading. For safety reasons, each aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight, which cannot be exceeded, as the company explained. Pilots must know the weight of the aircraft itself, along with the weight of fuel, checked baggage, cargo, onboard catering, water tanks, and customers. The airline knows exact weights for everything onboard, other than carry-on baggage and customer weights, which are currently estimated. An airline representative said that customers who choose to be weighed will help provide more “accurate information” for pilots, while having their privacy protected. “We use the weighing data for the average calculations required for the safe operation of flights, and the collected data is not linked in any way to the customer's personal data,” said Satu Munnukka, Head of Ground Processes at Finnair. “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. The spokesperson continued:An airline has ignited controversy after announcing it will begin weighing passengers along with their carry-on bags in order to better weight-balance planes prior to take-off.
We weigh volunteer customers together with their carry-on baggage. In the measurement, we do not ask for personal data, but the total weight of the customer and carry-on baggage, the customer’s age, gender and travel class are recorded in the database. No information is collected that would allow participants to be identified. In the previous measurements five years ago, a good number of volunteers wanted to participate in the weighing, and we hope to have a good sample of volunteers, both business and leisure travellers, also this time, so that we can get the most accurate information possible for important balance calculations. Reaction to the announcement has included comments from individuals appalled by the policy.Loading...
