Airline will now weigh people as well as their luggage before they board flights

In a move that will certainly divide opinion, a European airline has started weighing passengers before they board the plane.

Going to the airport is already a stressful enough experience for a lot of us, from having to pass through security, to the constant checking of whether your passport is still in the pocket you left it in.

Now, if you decide to fly with Finnair from the Finnish capital in February and April-May this year, then be prepared for the option to be weighed before boarding the aircraft.

The Finnish carrier said it started 'measuring' passengers departing from Helsinki on Monday (February 5).

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Essentially, volunteering travellers are now being weighed with their carry-on luggage to help the airline better estimate the plane's weight before take-off.

Kaisa Tikkanen, spokesperson for Finnair, said: "Measurements began at Helsinki Airport this week on Monday. So far, more than 500 volunteer customers have participated in the weigh-ins."

In the hope of preempting any backlash the airline said that working out the combined weight of a plane including 'the weight of fuel, checked baggage and cargo, onboard catering, water tanks, and of course, customers' would help make plane journeys even safer.

On top of that, a persons’ class of travel, gender, and age will be taken into account before they step onto the scales.

Finnair has also assured customers that collected data is not linked 'in any way' to any personal data.

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"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," said Satu Munnukka, head of ground processes at the airline.

Communications director Päivyt Tallqvist told The Huffington Post that Finns tend to bring a lot more layers in the winter - and who could blame them with an average temperature below freezing at this time of year!

However, if you are wearing a heavy coat and many layers underneath, you are of course going to be heavier.

"This is part of having a very strong safety culture in our organization," Tallqvist said.

"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 [passengers], they understand."

Finnair is not the first airline to introduce such measures, with Korean Air introducing a similar scheme last year.

UNILAD has contacted Finnair for further comment.