Finnish airline Finnair ask passengers to weigh themselves before boarding

Finland-based airline Finnair is asking customers for a sensitive piece of personal information before they board flights: their body weight. 

The airline said it's collecting the data anonymously from volunteers, and passengers are not required to step on scales to fly with the airline. Those who do will not have their weights shown publicly; only the customer service agent can view the number. 

"We're collecting anonymous data from volunteers on the average weight of customers and their carry-on baggage at Helsinki Airport in February, April and May. The data will be used for aircraft balance calculations," Finnair said in a statement this week. Passengers on long-haul European flights will have the opportunity to participate in the survey, should they choose to do so. The airline is hoping for "a good sample of volunteers," it said in a statement.