Finnish airline Finnair asks passengers to voluntarily weigh themselves before boarding

Passengers boarding onto European and long-haul flights will not be “penalised for their weight” and “the numbers are kept discreet, away from prying eyes”, she added.

So far, about 800 people have joined the survey, and those who agree to take part receive a small gift – a reflective baggage tag, Tallqvist said.

Airlines can either use official data by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, known as EASA, or do their own standard weights measurements, Tallqvist said.

Finnair has chosen the latter, but safety authorities require that the survey is renewed every five years. The last time Finnair weighed passengers was in 2018.

In June, New Zealand’s national airline also weighed passengers before boarding.

Too fat to fly? Air New Zealand to weigh passengers before boarding

The weight figures will be sent to the Finnish transport and communications agency later this year and will be used for balancing aircraft and loading calculations for the period running from 2025 until 2030.

“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,” Satu Munnukka, head of ground processes at Finnair, said in a statement.