An airline in Europe has begun weighing passengers, in addition to their bags, before boarding flights.
Finland's main carrier, Finnair, announced the change earlier this week, and it'll be voluntary at first.
Kaisa Tikkanen, spokesperson for the low-cost airline, said the change was made for safety reasons.
She explained calculating the total weight of an aircraft - including cargo, baggage, fuel, water, and even passengers - helps to make flights safer.
"Measurements began at Helsinki Airport this week on Monday (Finnish time). So far, more than 500 volunteer customers have participated in the weigh-ins," Tikkanen said.
The weigh-ins were also to help calculate fuel efficiency, she added.
As a budget airline, Finnair has tight profit margins, so calculating the weight of a full plane (with passengers) can be the difference between a profit or a loss.
Satu Munnukka, Finnair's head of ground processes, said customers shouldn't be afraid.
"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," she said.
Finnair customers had mixed reactions to the change.
"Smaller airlines [in] other countries have been doing this for decades. It’s reasonable and fair. You are cargo. Airplanes take fuel. Deal with it," one person wrote on X.
Meanwhile, another said they won't be "flying Finnair any time soon".
A third wrote they "won't be fat shamed by a bloody airline".
Last June, Air New Zealand weighed its international passengers so it could update its average passenger weight data.
The process "is essential to the safe and efficient operation of the aircraft and is a Civil Aviation Authority requirement," the airline said.
And last July, an EasyJet flight crew in Spain removed 19 passengers from a plane because it was "too heavy" to fly to the UK.
"This is a routine operational decision in these circumstances and weight restrictions are in place for all airlines for safety reasons," an EasyJet spokesperson explained.
