Finnair Cancels 40 Flights After Airbus A321 Seat Cover Fire Risk

Finnair has been forced to cancel roughly 40 flights after grounding eight Airbus A321 aircraft due to a potential fire safety issue involving improperly cleaned seat covers. The airline confirmed that the affected seat materials had been washed with uncertified water, a method that failed to meet fire protection standards required for passenger aircraft.

As a precaution, Finnair suspended operations of the eight aircraft on Monday Oct 13 in the evening and Tuesday while carrying out mandatory inspections. The disruption affects approximately 5,000 passengers, many of whom are eligible for compensation under EU Regulation EC 261/2004 and Duty of Care provisions, since the issue stems from an airline-controlled maintenance error.

In an official statement, Finnair said: “We have temporarily suspended operations of eight A321 aircraft from our A320 fleet. As part of our ongoing airworthiness monitoring, we have observed that the seat covers in the cabin seats have been washed with water, and the impact of this cleaning method on fire protection has not been properly verified.“

“This situation will affect the operation of approximately 20 flights per day, and we will need to cancel flights starting from Monday evening and continuing into Tuesday. We are very sorry for the uncertainty and harm this situation may cause you, and we will do our best to minimise the impact on your journey.“

The airline has not specified when the grounded aircraft will return to operation, as the required safety inspections must first be completed. Finnair emphasized that passenger safety remains its top priority, and affected travelers are being rebooked on alternative flights or offered refunds.

This incident marks an unusual disruption for the Finnish flag carrier, which typically maintains one of Europe’s most reliable on-time performance records. Finnair said it expects to update customers as soon as inspections confirm the aircraft are cleared for safe return to service.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, loyaltylobby.com