DALLAS — Finnish flag carrier Finnair (F9) has announced that all eight of its grounded Airbus A321 aircraft will return to service by the end of October, following the replacement of approximately 1,700 seat covers that raised fire protection concerns. Six of the aircraft are expected to rejoin the fleet within a week, bringing relief to the airline after a disruption that has impacted thousands of passengers.
The airline grounded the planes on October 13 after receiving notification from the seat cover manufacturer that the fire protection properties of the covers had not been adequately verified following standard water-based washing procedures. The seat covers, supplied by a long-time Finnair partner and produced according to the original seat manufacturer's specifications, had been maintained using routine washing procedures performed every two years.
"We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disruption this has caused to our customers. The safe operation of our flights is the foundation of everything we do," said Pekka Korhonen, Finnair's Senior Vice President of Technical Operations.
The temporary grounding has resulted in approximately 70 flight cancellations, affecting around 11,000 passengers. The disruption has been particularly significant given that the A321 aircraft typically seats approximately 200 passengers and is primarily deployed on European routes.
To minimize the impact on its schedule, Finnair has taken several mitigation measures. The airline has leased two aircraft with crew from DAT LT, a Lithuanian carrier, which began operating selected flights on October 15. However, capacity constraints have led to overbooking issues affecting approximately 3,500 passengers, with some flights being operated by smaller replacement aircraft.
Finnair has already begun installing new seat covers from multiple suppliers, with the first aircraft returning to service over the weekend. The company has confirmed that the same water-based cleaning method is standard across the industry and is used on other aircraft types in its fleet without issue.
The airline is contacting affected passengers directly regarding flight changes and has offered rebooking options, accommodation where necessary, and alternative travel arrangements in accordance with EU air passenger rights regulations. Despite operational challenges, cancellations and overbookings may persist until the entire A321 fleet is fully restored.
Finnair has indicated that it does not plan to compensate passengers for the cancellations, classifying the situation as an "exceptional circumstance" outside its control. However, this position has been disputed by consumer advocacy groups who argue the airline remains responsible for work carried out by its subcontractors.
Featured image: Alberto Cucini/Airways
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