The airline temporarily halted operations of eight aircraft after cleaning methods raised safety concerns.
What Happened
Finnair canceled approximately 40 flights over two days—October 13 and 14—due to safety concerns related to seat cleaning. The issue arose when seat covers on eight Airbus A321 aircraft were washed with water. The manufacturer later pointed out that the effect of this cleaning method on the fire protection properties of the material hadn’t been properly verified. As a result, the airline temporarily suspended operations of these eight aircraft for additional inspections.
Flight Cancellations
The airline confirmed that it had to cancel approximately 20 flights per day over Monday, October 13, and Tuesday, October 14, to conduct additional inspections on the affected aircraft. The issue concerns eight A321s within its A320 family fleet.
Aircraft Affected
According to Flightradar24, seven of the eight affected aircraft have been identified. These include OH-LZM, OH-LZN, OH-LZP, and OH-LZU, which were already in Helsinki when the decision was made to halt flights. OH-LZO was ferried back from Oulu, while OH-LZR and OH-LZT returned from Malaga and London respectively. The likely eighth aircraft, OH-LZS, has been parked in Prague since September 28 for maintenance.
Operations Expected to Stabilize
Finnair has stated that three of the grounded aircraft are already scheduled to resume service by October 15. This suggests that the airline’s operations might stabilize quickly once safety checks are complete.
Conclusion
In an unusual turn of events, Finnair’s commitment to cleanliness led to temporary flight disruptions. The airline is working diligently to resolve the issue and minimize the impact on passengers.
