Popular airline cancels and delays flights for 10,000 passengers for unusual safety reason

Finnair has been forced to temporarily suspend a number of flights this month due to an unusual safety issue.

In a statement updated yesterday, the Finnish airline said eight of its A321 aircrafts were grounded because the seat covers were cleaned incorrectly.

The ‘water washing’ method used to clean the seats does not follow fire safety standards.

Between October 13 and 21, around 10,000 passengers are thought to have been affected, 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 assured travellers that safety is its ‘top priority,’ and manufacturers’ maintenance instructions are always followed, as well as the ‘guidelines and recommendations of the authorities.’

In a bid to reduce disruptions and the number of cancellations, Finnair said it would make ‘daily aircraft type changes.’

From October 15, this includes operating selected flights with Finnair’s partner airline, Lithuania’s DAT LT. However, this will ‘likely lead to overbookings.’

Passengers on cancelled or overbooked flights will be contacted by text message or email, according to the airline. Finnair has urged customers to have their current contact information up to date.

Personal details, along with flight details, can be found in the ‘Manage booking’ section on the Finnair app.

In the instance of missing a connecting flight on the same ticket, the airline will book passengers a new flight to the end destination. Finnair will also send a message as soon as the travel plan is completed.

The airline apologised for ‘the uncertainty and inconvenience this situation has caused.’

According to Citizens’ Advice, passengers who experience issues like these could be due up to £520 in compensation.

Travellers are entitled to compensation if a delay (longer than three hours) or cancellation is the airline’s fault.

Compensation is unlikely if the disruption was due to something outside the airline’s control, like bad weather.

October hasn’t been the best month for air travel across Europe as a whole.

Several strikes have been confirmed, with travellers heading to popular countries such as Spain, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, and France warned to double-check their bookings.

For those worried about their upcoming holiday, the Metro Travel team has rounded up all the strikes set to take place from now until the end of the month, and beyond.