Finnair delays flights for 10,000 passengers for unusual safety reason

Finnair, Finland’s flagship airline, has taken eight of its A321 planes out of service this month after discovering that the seat covers were not cleaned correctly, according to a company statement.

The airline explained that the ‘water washing’ method used to clean the seats does not follow fire safety standards for the grounded planes.

Over 10,000 passengers are said to have been affected between October 13 and 21, with travellers warned to expect delays, changes, and flight cancellations.

Finnair’s statement read: ‘We have temporarily suspended operations on a portion of our A320 fleet (8 A321 aircraft).

“The reason for the suspension is the information received from the seat upholstery manufacturer that the impact of the cleaning method (water washing) of the seat covers on fire protection has not been properly verified.”

The airline stated that keeping passengers safe is its top priority. It also said that all repairs follow guidelines set by plane manufacturers and government authorities. To avoid problems and canceled flights, Finnair plans to change the aircraft type used each day.

From October 15, certain flights operated by Finnair’s partner, DAT LT of Lithuania. This arrangement results in overbookings.

Passengers who canceled or overbooked flights will be contacted by text message or email, the airline said. Finnair has advised customers to keep their contact details up to date.

For personal and flight details, the passengers are requested to refer to the ‘Manage booking’ section of the Finnair app.

If a Finnair customer misses a connecting flight on the same ticket, Finnair will book you on a new flight to your final destination and send you a message once the travel plan is complete.

The airline apologised for the delay and inconvenience this situation has caused.

Additionally, the Finnair passengers who experienced flight delays and overbookings could be entitled to £520 in compensation, according to Citizens’ Advice.

Passengers may claim compensation from an airline for delays exceeding three hours or for cancellations, provided the airline is responsible for the disruption.

However, compensation is unlikely if the disturbance was due to something outside the airline’s control, like bad weather.