Finnair’s Airbus A321-231 aircraft at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Finnair is still cancelling flights due to improperly washed seat covers. Photo: Roni Rekomaa / Lehtikuva
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Finnair has cancelled around 70 flights and rerouted over 12,000 passengers this week after grounding eight of its Airbus A321 aircraft due to a fire safety issue linked to seat cover maintenance.
The airline confirmed that the seat covers had been washed with water, contrary to manufacturer guidelines. The washing process potentially compromised the material’s fire-retardant properties. As a result, Finnair removed the affected aircraft from service starting last Monday.
The company said it began installing new seat covers over the weekend. One aircraft returned to service on Sunday morning, operating a flight from Helsinki to Rhodes. Seven other aircraft remain grounded, with no confirmed timeline for their return.
The grounded planes are Airbus A321s, typically used for European routes and capable of seating approximately 200 passengers. While Finnair has avoided mass cancellations in recent days, capacity has been reduced, leading to significant overbooking issues.
On Sunday, around 460 passengers were moved to different flights due to aircraft downgrades. Finnair used smaller replacement aircraft where necessary, and in some cases, offered incentives for volunteers to switch flights.
The airline said it has prioritised rebooking on high-frequency routes, such as Helsinki–Stockholm and Helsinki–London, to ensure alternative options are available. If necessary, customers have been offered accommodation or compensation in accordance with EU air passenger rights.
To help manage the disruption, Finnair has brought in two aircraft with crews from Danish carrier DAT since Wednesday. So far, DAT remains the only external partner supporting Finnair’s fleet shortage.
Finnair operates over 300 flights a day. In recent days, the number of cancelled flights has dropped to single digits, and some days have passed without any cancellations. But the airline acknowledged that irregularities are likely to continue through the coming week.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
