COPENHAGEN, Denmark (NEWSnet/AP) — Almost everything on a commercial plane is weighed, including fuel, baggage, cargo and meals.

For passengers and  cabin bags, most airlines use average data.

But Finland’s national carrier Finnair has started asking passengers to voluntarily and anonymously step onto a scale with their hand luggage at the country’s main airport in Helsinki, the airline said Friday.

The goal is for the airline to attain an assessment.

“We will need data for both winter season and for summer season — in winter season people typically have heavier clothing, which impacts weights,” Finnair spokeswoman Päivyt Tallqvist told The Associated Press. The survey will continue until May.

Passengers boarding European and long-haul flights won’t be penalized for their weight, and the numbers are kept discreet, "away from prying eyes,” Tallqvist 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 may use official data by European Union Aviation Safety Agency or conduct 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 weight figures will be sent to Finland’s transport and communications agency to balance aircraft and loading calculations for the period running 2025 to 2030.

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