Finnair Restores Full A321 Fleet After Safety-Related Groundings

Finnair has temporarily grounded eight of its Airbus A321 aircraft after discovering that water-based washing of approximately 1,700 seat covers had not been properly verified for fire protection, leading to safety concerns. This grounding, beginning on October 13, resulted in about 70 flight cancellations affecting around 11,000 passengers. The airline is replacing the seat covers with new ones from multiple suppliers and expects six aircraft to return to service within a week, with the full fleet restored by the end of October. To mitigate the disruption, Finnair leased two aircraft with crews from Lithuanian carrier DAT LT, though some flights remain overbooked or operated with smaller aircraft. Finnair has expressed deep regret for the inconvenience and emphasized that passenger safety is their top priority, working closely with manufacturers and aviation authorities to resolve the issue. The airline is contacting affected passengers directly and has adjusted its schedule to minimize cancellations and disruptions.